Application menu for video system

ABSTRACT

The invention is directed to an electronic device. The electronic device generates for presentation on a display a user interface including a plurality of groups of icons. A plurality of the icons have been grouped based at least in part on metadata of applications associated with the icons. The electronic device receives input selecting a respective icon. In response to receiving the input selecting a respective icon, the electronic device invokes an instance of an application associated with the respective icon.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/187,572, filed Feb. 26, 2021 (now U.S. Publication No. 2021-0181907),which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/012,345,filed Jun. 19, 2018 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,936,154), which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/747,849, filed onJun. 23, 2015 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,067,643), which claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/016,601, filed Jun. 24, 2014, theentire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for allpurposes.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a user interface for anapplication menu.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Many electronic devices provide user interfaces for viewing and openingapplications. However, such interfaces are unwieldy or poorly organized,have clunky methods of switching between apps, and are slow to respond.Further, when the user interfaces overlay visual content they obscure alarge portion of the visual content.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Many electronic devices provide user interfaces for viewing andselecting applications. There is a need to provide a fast way toorganize applications of an electronic device in an intuitive manner.The embodiments described below provide an intuitive way toautomatically group icons associated with applications of an electronicdevice based on metadata associated with the applications. Further,there is a need to provide an intuitive interface for switching betweencontent applications in an intuitive manner. The embodiments describedbelow provide an intuitive application switching user interfaceincluding representations of states of various applications.

Many application menu user interfaces overlay on visual content. Thereis a need to provide an intuitive interface overlaid on visual contentthat obscures a minimal portion of the visual content. The embodimentsbelow provide an intuitive way two switch from a user interfaceincluding a two-dimensional array of user interface objects to a userinterface including a one-dimensional array of the same user interfaceobjects. Finally, many user interfaces animate based on differentinputs. There is a need to provide an intuitive interface that beginssuch animations before input is complete. The embodiments below providean intuitive interface that seems to anticipate user intention beforeinput is complete by beginning an animation portion that is common totwo or more user interface responses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the various described embodiments,reference should be made to the Detailed Description below, inconjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numeralsrefer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a multifunction device with atouch-sensitive display in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components for eventhandling in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a multifunction device having a touch screen inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary multifunction device with adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface for a multifunctiondevice with a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the displayin accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary architecture for thedevice according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 6A-6S illustrate an exemplary user interface for automaticallygrouping icons in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 7A-7D are flow diagrams illustrating a method of automaticallygrouping icons in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate an exemplary application switching user interfacein accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 9A-9C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of an applicationswitching user interface in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-10J illustrate an exemplary user interface includingone-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays of user interface objects inaccordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 11A-11C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of a userinterface including one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays of userinterface objects in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 12A-12F illustrate an exemplary user interface using a firstanimation portion to transition to either a first or second userinterface response in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure.

FIGS. 13A-13C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of using a firstanimation portion to transition to either a first or second userinterface response in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 14-17 show functional block diagrams of electronic devicesconfigured in accordance with the principles of the various describedembodiments, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of examples, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which it is shownby way of illustration specific examples that can be practiced. It is tobe understood that other examples can be used and structural changes canbe made without departing from the scope of the disclosed examples.

Exemplary Devices

Embodiments of electronic devices, user interfaces for such devices, andassociated processes for using such devices are described. In someembodiments, the device is a portable communications device, such as amobile telephone, that also contains other functions, such as PDA and/ormusic player functions. Exemplary embodiments of portable multifunctiondevices include, without limitation, the iPhone®, iPod Touch®, and iPad®devices from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Other portable electronicdevices, such as laptops or tablet computers with touch-sensitivesurfaces (e.g., touch screen displays and/or touch pads), are,optionally, used. It should also be understood that, in someembodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but isa desktop computer or a television with a touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,a touch screen display and/or a touch pad). In some embodiments, thedevice does not have a touch screen display and/or a touch pad, butrather is capable of outputting display information (such as the userinterfaces of the disclosure) for display on a separate display device,and capable of receiving input information from a separate input devicehaving one or more input mechanisms (such as one or more buttons, atouch screen display and/or a touch pad). In some embodiments, thedevice has a display, but is capable of receiving input information froma separate input device having one or more input mechanisms (such as oneor more buttons, a touch screen display and/or a touch pad).

In the discussion that follows, an electronic device that includes adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface is described. It should beunderstood, however, that the electronic device optionally includes oneor more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physicalkeyboard, a mouse and/or a joystick. Further, as described above, itshould be understood that the described electronic device, display andtouch-sensitive surface are optionally distributed amongst two or moredevices. Therefore, as used in this disclosure, information displayed onthe electronic device or by the electronic device is optionally used todescribe information outputted by the electronic device for display on aseparate display device (touch-sensitive or not). Similarly, as used inthis disclosure, input received on the electronic device (e.g., touchinput received on a touch-sensitive surface of the electronic device) isoptionally used to describe input received on a separate input device,from which the electronic device receives input information.

The device typically supports a variety of applications, such as one ormore of the following: a drawing application, a presentationapplication, a word processing application, a website creationapplication, a disk authoring application, a spreadsheet application, agaming application, a telephone application, a video conferencingapplication, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, aworkout support application, a photo management application, a digitalcamera application, a digital video camera application, a web browsingapplication, a digital music player application, a television channelbrowsing application, and/or a digital video player application.

The various applications that are executed on the device optionally useat least one common physical user-interface device, such as thetouch-sensitive surface. One or more functions of the touch-sensitivesurface as well as corresponding information displayed on the deviceare, optionally, adjusted and/or varied from one application to the nextand/or within a respective application. In this way, a common physicalarchitecture (such as the touch-sensitive surface) of the deviceoptionally supports the variety of applications with user interfacesthat are intuitive and transparent to the user.

Attention is now directed toward embodiments of portable or non-portabledevices with touch-sensitive displays, though the devices need notinclude touch-sensitive displays or displays in general, as describedabove. FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating portable or non-portablemultifunction device 100 with touch-sensitive displays 112 in accordancewith some embodiments. Touch-sensitive display 112 is sometimes called a“touch screen” for convenience, and is sometimes known as or called atouch-sensitive display system. Device 100 includes memory 102 (whichoptionally includes one or more computer readable storage mediums),memory controller 122, one or more processing units (CPU's) 120,peripherals interface 118, RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110,speaker 111, microphone 113, input/output (I/O) subsystem 106, otherinput or control devices 116, and external port 124. Device 100optionally includes one or more optical sensors 164. Device 100optionally includes one or more intensity sensors 165 for detectingintensity of contacts on device 100 (e.g., a touch-sensitive surfacesuch as touch-sensitive display system 112 of device 100). Device 100optionally includes one or more tactile output generators 167 forgenerating tactile outputs on device 100 (e.g., generating tactileoutputs on a touch-sensitive surface such as touch-sensitive displaysystem 112 of device 100 or touchpad 355 of device 300). Thesecomponents optionally communicate over one or more communication busesor signal lines 103.

As used in the specification and claims, the term “intensity” of acontact on a touch-sensitive surface refers to the force or pressure(force per unit area) of a contact (e.g., a finger contact) on thetouch-sensitive surface, or to a substitute (proxy) for the force orpressure of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface. The intensity of acontact has a range of values that includes at least four distinctvalues and more typically includes hundreds of distinct values (e.g., atleast 256). Intensity of a contact is, optionally, determined (ormeasured) using various approaches and various sensors or combinationsof sensors. For example, one or more force sensors underneath oradjacent to the touch-sensitive surface are, optionally, used to measureforce at various points on the touch-sensitive surface. In someimplementations, force measurements from multiple force sensors arecombined (e.g., a weighted average) to determine an estimated force of acontact. Similarly, a pressure-sensitive tip of a stylus is, optionally,used to determine a pressure of the stylus on the touch-sensitivesurface. Alternatively, the size of the contact area detected on thetouch-sensitive surface and/or changes thereto, the capacitance of thetouch-sensitive surface proximate to the contact and/or changes thereto,and/or the resistance of the touch-sensitive surface proximate to thecontact and/or changes thereto are, optionally, used as a substitute forthe force or pressure of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface. Insome implementations, the substitute measurements for contact force orpressure are used directly to determine whether an intensity thresholdhas been exceeded (e.g., the intensity threshold is described in unitscorresponding to the substitute measurements). In some implementations,the substitute measurements for contact force or pressure are convertedto an estimated force or pressure and the estimated force or pressure isused to determine whether an intensity threshold has been exceeded(e.g., the intensity threshold is a pressure threshold measured in unitsof pressure).

As used in the specification and claims, the term “tactile output”refers to physical displacement of a device relative to a previousposition of the device, physical displacement of a component (e.g., atouch-sensitive surface) of a device relative to another component(e.g., housing) of the device, or displacement of the component relativeto a center of mass of the device that will be detected by a user withthe user's sense of touch. For example, in situations where the deviceor the component of the device is in contact with a surface of a userthat is sensitive to touch (e.g., a finger, palm, or other part of auser's hand), the tactile output generated by the physical displacementwill be interpreted by the user as a tactile sensation corresponding toa perceived change in physical characteristics of the device or thecomponent of the device. For example, movement of a touch-sensitivesurface (e.g., a touch-sensitive display or trackpad) is, optionally,interpreted by the user as a “down click” or “up click” of a physicalactuator button. In some cases, a user will feel a tactile sensationsuch as an “down click” or “up click” even when there is no movement ofa physical actuator button associated with the touch-sensitive surfacethat is physically pressed (e.g., displaced) by the user's movements. Asanother example, movement of the touch-sensitive surface is, optionally,interpreted or sensed by the user as “roughness” of the touch-sensitivesurface, even when there is no change in smoothness of thetouch-sensitive surface. While such interpretations of touch by a userwill be subject to the individualized sensory perceptions of the user,there are many sensory perceptions of touch that are common to a largemajority of users. Thus, when a tactile output is described ascorresponding to a particular sensory perception of a user (e.g., an “upclick,” a “down click,” “roughness”), unless otherwise stated, thegenerated tactile output corresponds to physical displacement of thedevice or a component thereof that will generate the described sensoryperception for a typical (or average) user.

It should be appreciated that device 100 is only one example of aportable or non-portable multifunction device, and that device 100optionally has more or fewer components than shown, optionally combinestwo or more components, or optionally has a different configuration orarrangement of the components. The various components shown in FIG. 1Aare implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardwareand software, including one or more signal processing and/or applicationspecific integrated circuits. Further, the various components shown inFIG. 1A are optionally implemented across two or more devices; forexample, a display and audio circuitry on a display device, atouch-sensitive surface on an input device, and remaining components ondevice 100. In such an embodiment, device 100 optionally communicateswith the display device and/or the input device to facilitate operationof the system, as described in the disclosure, and the variouscomponents described herein that relate to display and/or input remainin device 100, or are optionally included in the display and/or inputdevice, as appropriate.

Memory 102 optionally includes high-speed random access memory andoptionally also includes non-volatile memory, such as one or moremagnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or othernon-volatile solid-state memory devices. Access to memory 102 by othercomponents of device 100, such as CPU 120 and the peripherals interface118, is, optionally, controlled by memory controller 122.

Peripherals interface 118 can be used to couple input and outputperipherals of the device to CPU 120 and memory 102. The one or moreprocessors 120 run or execute various software programs and/or sets ofinstructions stored in memory 102 to perform various functions fordevice 100 and to process data.

In some embodiments, peripherals interface 118, CPU 120, and memorycontroller 122 are, optionally, implemented on a single chip, such aschip 104. In some other embodiments, they are, optionally, implementedon separate chips.

RF (radio frequency) circuitry 108 receives and sends RF signals, alsocalled electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry 108 converts electricalsignals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates withcommunications networks and other communications devices via theelectromagnetic signals. RF circuitry 108 optionally includes well-knowncircuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited toan antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner,one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, asubscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. RFcircuitry 108 optionally communicates with networks, such as theInternet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranetand/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, awireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network(MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The wirelesscommunication optionally uses any of a plurality of communicationsstandards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited toGlobal System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSMEnvironment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA),high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), Evolution, Data-Only (EV-DO),HSPA, HSPA+, Dual-Cell HSPA (DC-HSPDA), long term evolution (LTE), nearfield communication (NFC), wideband code division multiple access(W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multipleaccess (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a,IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice over InternetProtocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for e-mail (e.g., Internet messageaccess protocol (IMAP) and/or post office protocol (POP)), instantmessaging (e.g., extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP),Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and PresenceLeveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), Instant Messaging and Presence Service(IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service (SMS), or any other suitablecommunication protocol, including communication protocols not yetdeveloped as of the filing date of this document.

Audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, and microphone 113 provide an audiointerface between a user and device 100. Audio circuitry 110 receivesaudio data from peripherals interface 118, converts the audio data to anelectrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to speaker 111.Speaker 111 converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves.Audio circuitry 110 also receives electrical signals converted bymicrophone 113 from sound waves. Audio circuitry 110 converts theelectrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data toperipherals interface 118 for processing. Audio data is, optionally,retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory 102 and/or RF circuitry 108by peripherals interface 118. In some embodiments, audio circuitry 110also includes a headset jack (e.g., 212, FIG. 2 ). The headset jackprovides an interface between audio circuitry 110 and removable audioinput/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headsetwith both output (e.g., a headphone for one or both ears) and input(e.g., a microphone).

I/O subsystem 106 couples input/output peripherals on device 100, suchas touch screen 112 and other input control devices 116, to peripheralsinterface 118. I/O subsystem 106 optionally includes display controller156, optical sensor controller 158, intensity sensor controller 159,haptic feedback controller 161 and one or more input controllers 160 forother input or control devices. The one or more input controllers 160receive/send electrical signals from/to other input or control devices116. The other input control devices 116 optionally include physicalbuttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, sliderswitches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternateembodiments, input controller(s) 160 are, optionally, coupled to any (ornone) of the following: a keyboard, infrared port, USB port, and apointer device such as a mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g., 208, FIG.2 ) optionally include an up/down button for volume control of speaker111 and/or microphone 113. The one or more buttons optionally include apush button (e.g., 206, FIG. 2 ).

Touch-sensitive display 112 provides an input interface and an outputinterface between the device and a user. As described above, thetouch-sensitive operation and the display operation of touch-sensitivedisplay 112 are optionally separated from each other, such that adisplay device is used for display purposes and a touch-sensitivesurface (whether display or not) is used for input detection purposes,and the described components and functions are modified accordingly.However, for simplicity, the following description is provided withreference to a touch-sensitive display. Display controller 156 receivesand/or sends electrical signals from/to touch screen 112. Touch screen112 displays visual output to the user. The visual output optionallyincludes graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof(collectively termed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all ofthe visual output corresponds to user-interface objects.

Touch screen 112 has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor or set of sensorsthat accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactile contact.Touch screen 112 and display controller 156 (along with any associatedmodules and/or sets of instructions in memory 102) detect contact (andany movement or breaking of the contact) on touch screen 112 andconverts the detected contact into interaction with user-interfaceobjects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages or images) thatare displayed on touch screen 112. In an exemplary embodiment, a pointof contact between touch screen 112 and the user corresponds to a fingerof the user.

Touch screen 112 optionally uses LCD (liquid crystal display)technology, LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, or LED(light emitting diode) technology, although other display technologiesare used in other embodiments. Touch screen 112 and display controller156 optionally detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof usingany of a plurality of touch sensing technologies now known or laterdeveloped, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared,and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximitysensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points ofcontact with touch screen 112. In an exemplary embodiment, projectedmutual capacitance sensing technology is used, such as that found in theiPhone®, iPod Touch®, and iPad® from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.

Touch screen 112 optionally has a video resolution in excess of 100 dpi.In some embodiments, the touch screen has a video resolution ofapproximately 160 dpi. The user optionally makes contact with touchscreen 112 using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, afinger, and so forth. In some embodiments, the user interface isdesigned to work primarily with finger-based contacts and gestures,which can be less precise than stylus-based input due to the larger areaof contact of a finger on the touch screen. In some embodiments, thedevice translates the rough finger-based input into a precisepointer/cursor position or command for performing the actions desired bythe user.

In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, device 100optionally includes a touchpad (not shown) for activating ordeactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad isa touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, doesnot display visual output. The touchpad is, optionally, atouch-sensitive surface that is separate from touch screen 112 or anextension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen.

Device 100 also includes power system 162 for powering the variouscomponents. Power system 162 optionally includes a power managementsystem, one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current(AC)), a recharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a powerconverter or inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emittingdiode (LED)) and any other components associated with the generation,management and distribution of power in portable or non-portabledevices.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more optical sensors 164.FIG. 1A shows an optical sensor coupled to optical sensor controller 158in I/O subsystem 106. Optical sensor 164 optionally includescharge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor(CMOS) phototransistors. Optical sensor 164 receives light from theenvironment, projected through one or more lens, and converts the lightto data representing an image. In conjunction with imaging module 143(also called a camera module), optical sensor 164 optionally capturesstill images or video. In some embodiments, an optical sensor is locatedon the back of device 100, opposite touch screen display 112 on thefront of the device, so that the touch screen display is enabled for useas a viewfinder for still and/or video image acquisition. In someembodiments, another optical sensor is located on the front of thedevice so that the user's image is, optionally, obtained forvideoconferencing while the user views the other video conferenceparticipants on the touch screen display.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more contact intensitysensors 165. FIG. 1A shows a contact intensity sensor coupled tointensity sensor controller 159 in I/O subsystem 106. Contact intensitysensor 165 optionally includes one or more piezoresistive strain gauges,capacitive force sensors, electric force sensors, piezoelectric forcesensors, optical force sensors, capacitive touch-sensitive surfaces, orother intensity sensors (e.g., sensors used to measure the force (orpressure) of a contact on a touch-sensitive surface). Contact intensitysensor 165 receives contact intensity information (e.g., pressureinformation or a proxy for pressure information) from the environment.In some embodiments, at least one contact intensity sensor is collocatedwith, or proximate to, a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., touch-sensitivedisplay system 112). In some embodiments, at least one contact intensitysensor is located on the back of device 100, opposite touch screendisplay 112 which is located on the front of device 100.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more proximity sensors 166.FIG. 1A shows proximity sensor 166 coupled to peripherals interface 118.Alternately, proximity sensor 166 is coupled to input controller 160 inI/O subsystem 106. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor turns offand disables touch screen 112 when the multifunction device is placednear the user's ear (e.g., when the user is making a phone call).

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more tactile outputgenerators 167. FIG. 1A shows a tactile output generator coupled tohaptic feedback controller 161 in I/O subsystem 106. Tactile outputgenerator 167 optionally includes one or more electroacoustic devicessuch as speakers or other audio components and/or electromechanicaldevices that convert energy into linear motion such as a motor,solenoid, electroactive polymer, piezoelectric actuator, electrostaticactuator, or other tactile output generating component (e.g., acomponent that converts electrical signals into tactile outputs on thedevice). Contact intensity sensor 165 receives tactile feedbackgeneration instructions from haptic feedback module 133 and generatestactile outputs on device 100 that are capable of being sensed by a userof device 100. In some embodiments, at least one tactile outputgenerator is collocated with, or proximate to, a touch-sensitive surface(e.g., touch-sensitive display system 112) and, optionally, generates atactile output by moving the touch-sensitive surface vertically (e.g.,in/out of a surface of device 100) or laterally (e.g., back and forth inthe same plane as a surface of device 100). In some embodiments, atleast one tactile output generator sensor is located on the back ofdevice 100, opposite touch screen display 112 which is located on thefront of device 100.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more accelerometers 168. FIG.1A shows accelerometer 168 coupled to peripherals interface 118.Alternately, accelerometer 168 is, optionally, coupled to an inputcontroller 160 in I/O subsystem 106. In some embodiments, information isdisplayed on the touch screen display in a portrait view or a landscapeview based on an analysis of data received from the one or moreaccelerometers. Device 100 optionally includes, in addition toaccelerometer(s) 168, a magnetometer (not shown) and a GPS (or GLONASSor other global navigation system) receiver (not shown) for obtaininginformation concerning the location and orientation (e.g., portrait orlandscape) of device 100.

In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory 102include operating system 126, communication module (or set ofinstructions) 128, contact/motion module (or set of instructions) 130,graphics module (or set of instructions) 132, text input module (or setof instructions) 134, Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set ofinstructions) 135, and applications (or sets of instructions) 136.Furthermore, in some embodiments memory 102 stores device/globalinternal state 157, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 3 . Device/global internalstate 157 includes one or more of: active application state, indicatingwhich applications, if any, are currently active; display state,indicating what applications, views or other information occupy variousregions of touch screen display 112; sensor state, including informationobtained from the device's various sensors and input control devices116; and location information concerning the device's location and/orattitude.

Operating system 126 (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, oran embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includes various softwarecomponents and/or drivers for controlling and managing general systemtasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control, powermanagement, etc.) and facilitates communication between various hardwareand software components.

Communication module 128 facilitates communication with other devicesover one or more external ports 124 and also includes various softwarecomponents for handling data received by RF circuitry 108 and/orexternal port 124. External port 124 (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB),FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to other devices orindirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). Insome embodiments, the external port is a multi-pin (e.g., 30-pin)connector that is the same as, or similar to and/or compatible with the30-pin connector used on iPod (trademark of Apple Inc.) devices.

Contact/motion module 130 optionally detects contact with touch screen112 (in conjunction with display controller 156) and othertouch-sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel).Contact/motion module 130 includes various software components forperforming various operations related to detection of contact, such asdetermining if contact has occurred (e.g., detecting a finger-downevent), determining an intensity of the contact (e.g., the force orpressure of the contact or a substitute for the force or pressure of thecontact) determining if there is movement of the contact and trackingthe movement across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., detecting one ormore finger-dragging events), and determining if the contact has ceased(e.g., detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact).Contact/motion module 130 receives contact data from the touch-sensitivesurface. Determining movement of the point of contact, which isrepresented by a series of contact data, optionally includes determiningspeed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction), and/or anacceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of the point ofcontact. These operations are, optionally, applied to single contacts(e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous contacts (e.g.,“multitouch”/multiple finger contacts). In some embodiments,contact/motion module 130 and display controller 156 detect contact on atouchpad.

In some embodiments, contact/motion module 130 uses a set of one or moreintensity thresholds to determine whether an operation has beenperformed by a user (e.g., to determine whether a user has “clicked” onan icon). In some embodiments at least a subset of the intensitythresholds are determined in accordance with software parameters (e.g.,the intensity thresholds are not determined by the activation thresholdsof particular physical actuators and can be adjusted without changingthe physical hardware of device 100). For example, a mouse “click”threshold of a trackpad or touch screen display can be set to any of alarge range of predefined thresholds values without changing thetrackpad or touch screen display hardware. Additionally, in someimplementations a user of the device is provided with software settingsfor adjusting one or more of the set of intensity thresholds (e.g., byadjusting individual intensity thresholds and/or by adjusting aplurality of intensity thresholds at once with a system-level click“intensity” parameter).

Contact/motion module 130 optionally detects a gesture input by a user.Different gestures on the touch-sensitive surface have different contactpatterns and intensities. Thus, a gesture is, optionally, detected bydetecting a particular contact pattern. For example, detecting a fingertap gesture includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detectinga finger-up (lift off) event at the same position (or substantially thesame position) as the finger-down event (e.g., at the position of anicon). As another example, detecting a finger swipe gesture on thetouch-sensitive surface includes detecting a finger-down event followedby detecting one or more finger-dragging events, and subsequentlyfollowed by detecting a finger-up (lift off) event.

Graphics module 132 includes various known software components forrendering and displaying graphics on touch screen 112 or other display,including components for changing the visual impact (e.g., brightness,transparency, saturation, contrast or other visual property) of graphicsthat are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics” includes anyobject that can be displayed to a user, including without limitationtext, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objects including softkeys), digital images, videos, animations and the like.

In some embodiments, graphics module 132 stores data representinggraphics to be used. Each graphic is, optionally, assigned acorresponding code. Graphics module 132 receives, from applicationsetc., one or more codes specifying graphics to be displayed along with,if necessary, coordinate data and other graphic property data, and thengenerates screen image data to output to display controller 156.

Haptic feedback module 133 includes various software components forgenerating instructions used by tactile output generator(s) 167 toproduce tactile outputs at one or more locations on device 100 inresponse to user interactions with device 100.

Text input module 134, which is, optionally, a component of graphicsmodule 132, provides soft keyboards for entering text in variousapplications (e.g., contacts 137, e-mail 140, IM 141, browser 147, andany other application that needs text input).

GPS module 135 determines the location of the device and provides thisinformation for use in various applications (e.g., to telephone 138 foruse in location-based dialing, to camera 143 as picture/video metadata,and to applications that provide location-based services such as weatherwidgets, local yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets).

Applications 136 optionally include the following modules (or sets ofinstructions), or a subset or superset thereof:

-   -   contacts module 137 (sometimes called an address book or contact        list);    -   telephone module 138;    -   video conferencing module 139;    -   e-mail client module 140;    -   instant messaging (IM) module 141;    -   workout support module 142;    -   camera module 143 for still and/or video images;    -   image management module 144;    -   browser module 147;    -   calendar module 148;    -   widget modules 149, which optionally include one or more of:        weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget        149-3, alarm clock widget 149-4, dictionary widget 149-5, and        other widgets obtained by the user, as well as user-created        widgets 149-6;    -   widget creator module 150 for making user-created widgets 149-6;    -   search module 151;    -   video and music player module 152, which is, optionally, made up        of a video player module and a music player module;    -   notes module 153;    -   map module 154;    -   online video module 155.

Examples of other applications 136 that are, optionally, stored inmemory 102 include other word processing applications, other imageediting applications, drawing applications, presentation applications,JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voicerecognition, and voice replication.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contactmodule 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, contactsmodule 137 are, optionally, used to manage an address book or contactlist (e.g., stored in application internal state 192 of contacts module137 in memory 102 or memory 370), including: adding name(s) to theaddress book; deleting name(s) from the address book; associatingtelephone number(s), e-mail address(es), physical address(es) or otherinformation with a name; associating an image with a name; categorizingand sorting names; providing telephone numbers or e-mail addresses toinitiate and/or facilitate communications by telephone 138, videoconference 139, e-mail 140, or IM 141; and so forth.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111,microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, telephone module138 are, optionally, used to enter a sequence of characterscorresponding to a telephone number, access one or more telephonenumbers in address book 137, modify a telephone number that has beenentered, dial a respective telephone number, conduct a conversation anddisconnect or hang up when the conversation is completed. As notedabove, the wireless communication optionally uses any of a plurality ofcommunications standards, protocols and technologies.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111,microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, optical sensor164, optical sensor controller 158, contact module 130, graphics module132, text input module 134, contact list 137, and telephone module 138,videoconferencing module 139 includes executable instructions toinitiate, conduct, and terminate a video conference between a user andone or more other participants in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text inputmodule 134, e-mail client module 140 includes executable instructions tocreate, send, receive, and manage e-mail in response to userinstructions. In conjunction with image management module 144, e-mailclient module 140 makes it very easy to create and send e-mails withstill or video images taken with camera module 143.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text inputmodule 134, the instant messaging module 141 includes executableinstructions to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to aninstant message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit arespective instant message (for example, using a Short Message Service(SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for telephony-basedinstant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for Internet-basedinstant messages), to receive instant messages and to view receivedinstant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted and/or receivedinstant messages optionally include graphics, photos, audio files, videofiles and/or other attachments as are supported in a MMS and/or anEnhanced Messaging Service (EMS). As used herein, “instant messaging”refers to both telephony-based messages (e.g., messages sent using SMSor MMS) and Internet-based messages (e.g., messages sent using XMPP,SIMPLE, or IMPS).

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text inputmodule 134, GPS module 135, map module 154, and music player module 146,workout support module 142 includes executable instructions to createworkouts (e.g., with time, distance, and/or calorie burning goals);communicate with workout sensors (sports devices); receive workoutsensor data; calibrate sensors used to monitor a workout; select andplay music for a workout; and display, store and transmit workout data.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, opticalsensor(s) 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact module 130,graphics module 132, and image management module 144, camera module 143includes executable instructions to capture still images or video(including a video stream) and store them into memory 102, modifycharacteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image orvideo from memory 102.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contactmodule 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, and cameramodule 143, image management module 144 includes executable instructionsto arrange, modify (e.g., edit), or otherwise manipulate, label, delete,present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), and store still and/orvideo images.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display systemcontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text inputmodule 134, browser module 147 includes executable instructions tobrowse the Internet in accordance with user instructions, includingsearching, linking to, receiving, and displaying web pages or portionsthereof, as well as attachments and other files linked to web pages.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display systemcontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text inputmodule 134, e-mail client module 140, and browser module 147, calendarmodule 148 includes executable instructions to create, display, modify,and store calendars and data associated with calendars (e.g., calendarentries, to do lists, etc.) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display systemcontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text inputmodule 134, and browser module 147, widget modules 149 aremini-applications that are, optionally, downloaded and used by a user(e.g., weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget149-3, alarm clock widget 149-4, and dictionary widget 149-5) or createdby the user (e.g., user-created widget 149-6). In some embodiments, awidget includes an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file, a CSS(Cascading Style Sheets) file, and a JavaScript file. In someembodiments, a widget includes an XML (Extensible Markup Language) fileand a JavaScript file (e.g., Yahoo! Widgets).

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display systemcontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text inputmodule 134, and browser module 147, the widget creator module 150 are,optionally, used by a user to create widgets (e.g., turning auser-specified portion of a web page into a widget).

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system controller 156,contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134,search module 151 includes executable instructions to search for text,music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory 102 that matchone or more search criteria (e.g., one or more user-specified searchterms) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system controller 156,contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110, speaker111, RF circuitry 108, and browser module 147, video and music playermodule 152 includes executable instructions that allow the user todownload and play back recorded music and other sound files stored inone or more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files, and executableinstructions to display, present or otherwise play back videos (e.g., ontouch screen 112 or on an external, connected display via external port124). In some embodiments, device 100 optionally includes thefunctionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod (trademark of AppleInc.).

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contactmodule 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, notes module153 includes executable instructions to create and manage notes, to dolists, and the like in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display systemcontroller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text inputmodule 134, GPS module 135, and browser module 147, map module 154 are,optionally, used to receive, display, modify, and store maps and dataassociated with maps (e.g., driving directions; data on stores and otherpoints of interest at or near a particular location; and otherlocation-based data) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system controller 156,contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110, speaker111, RF circuitry 108, text input module 134, e-mail client module 140,and browser module 147, online video module 155 includes instructionsthat allow the user to access, browse, receive (e.g., by streamingand/or download), play back (e.g., on the touch screen or on anexternal, connected display via external port 124), send an e-mail witha link to a particular online video, and otherwise manage online videosin one or more file formats, such as H.264. In some embodiments, instantmessaging module 141, rather than e-mail client module 140, is used tosend a link to a particular online video.

Each of the above identified modules and applications correspond to aset of executable instructions for performing one or more functionsdescribed above and the methods described in this application (e.g., thecomputer-implemented methods and other information processing methodsdescribed herein). These modules (i.e., sets of instructions) need notbe implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, andthus various subsets of these modules are, optionally, combined orotherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments,memory 102 optionally stores a subset of the modules and data structuresidentified above. Furthermore, memory 102 optionally stores additionalmodules and data structures not described above.

In some embodiments, device 100 is a device where operation of apredefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusivelythrough a touch screen and/or a touchpad (whether included in device 100or on a separate device, such as an input device). By using a touchscreen and/or a touchpad as the primary input control device foroperation of device 100, the number of physical input control devices(such as push buttons, dials, and the like) on device 100 is,optionally, reduced.

The predefined set of functions that are performed exclusively through atouch screen and/or a touchpad optionally include navigation betweenuser interfaces. In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by theuser, navigates device 100 to a main, home, or root menu from any userinterface that is displayed on device 100. In such embodiments, a “menubutton” is implemented using a touchpad. In some other embodiments, themenu button is a physical push button or other physical input controldevice instead of a touchpad.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components for eventhandling in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments,memory 102 (in FIG. 1A) or 370 (FIG. 3 ) includes event sorter 170(e.g., in operating system 126) and a respective application 136-1(e.g., any of the aforementioned applications 137-151, 155, 380-390).

Event sorter 170 receives event information and determines theapplication 136-1 and application view 191 of application 136-1 to whichto deliver the event information. Event sorter 170 includes eventmonitor 171 and event dispatcher module 174. In some embodiments,application 136-1 includes application internal state 192, whichindicates the current application view(s) displayed on touch-sensitivedisplay 112 when the application is active or executing. In someembodiments, device/global internal state 157 is used by event sorter170 to determine which application(s) is (are) currently active, andapplication internal state 192 is used by event sorter 170 to determineapplication views 191 to which to deliver event information.

In some embodiments, application internal state 192 includes additionalinformation, such as one or more of: resume information to be used whenapplication 136-1 resumes execution, user interface state informationthat indicates information being displayed or that is ready for displayby application 136-1, a state queue for enabling the user to go back toa prior state or view of application 136-1, and a redo/undo queue ofprevious actions taken by the user.

Event monitor 171 receives event information from peripherals interface118. Event information includes information about a sub-event (e.g., auser touch on touch-sensitive display 112, as part of a multi-touchgesture). Peripherals interface 118 transmits information it receivesfrom I/O subsystem 106 or a sensor, such as proximity sensor 166,accelerometer(s) 168, and/or microphone 113 (through audio circuitry110). Information that peripherals interface 118 receives from I/Osubsystem 106 includes information from touch-sensitive display 112 or atouch-sensitive surface.

In some embodiments, event monitor 171 sends requests to the peripheralsinterface 118 at predetermined intervals. In response, peripheralsinterface 118 transmits event information. In other embodiments,peripheral interface 118 transmits event information only when there isa significant event (e.g., receiving an input above a predeterminednoise threshold and/or for more than a predetermined duration).

In some embodiments, event sorter 170 also includes a hit viewdetermination module 172 and/or an active event recognizer determinationmodule 173.

Hit view determination module 172 provides software procedures fordetermining where a sub-event has taken place within one or more views,when touch-sensitive display 112 displays more than one view. Views aremade up of controls and other elements that a user can see on thedisplay.

Another aspect of the user interface associated with an application is aset of views, sometimes herein called application views or userinterface windows, in which information is displayed and touch-basedgestures occur. The application views (of a respective application) inwhich a touch is detected optionally correspond to programmatic levelswithin a programmatic or view hierarchy of the application. For example,the lowest level view in which a touch is detected is, optionally,called the hit view, and the set of events that are recognized as properinputs are, optionally, determined based, at least in part, on the hitview of the initial touch that begins a touch-based gesture.

Hit view determination module 172 receives information related tosub-events of a touch-based gesture. When an application has multipleviews organized in a hierarchy, hit view determination module 172identifies a hit view as the lowest view in the hierarchy which shouldhandle the sub-event. In most circumstances, the hit view is the lowestlevel view in which an initiating sub-event occurs (i.e., the firstsub-event in the sequence of sub-events that form an event or potentialevent). Once the hit view is identified by the hit view determinationmodule, the hit view typically receives all sub-events related to thesame touch or input source for which it was identified as the hit view.

Active event recognizer determination module 173 determines which viewor views within a view hierarchy should receive a particular sequence ofsub-events. In some embodiments, active event recognizer determinationmodule 173 determines that only the hit view should receive a particularsequence of sub-events. In other embodiments, active event recognizerdetermination module 173 determines that all views that include thephysical location of a sub-event are actively involved views, andtherefore determines that all actively involved views should receive aparticular sequence of sub-events. In other embodiments, even if touchsub-events were entirely confined to the area associated with oneparticular view, views higher in the hierarchy would still remain asactively involved views.

Event dispatcher module 174 dispatches the event information to an eventrecognizer (e.g., event recognizer 180). In embodiments including activeevent recognizer determination module 173, event dispatcher module 174delivers the event information to an event recognizer determined byactive event recognizer determination module 173. In some embodiments,event dispatcher module 174 stores in an event queue the eventinformation, which is retrieved by a respective event receiver module182.

In some embodiments, operating system 126 includes event sorter 170.Alternatively, application 136-1 includes event sorter 170. In yet otherembodiments, event sorter 170 is a stand-alone module, or a part ofanother module stored in memory 102, such as contact/motion module 130.

In some embodiments, application 136-1 includes a plurality of eventhandlers 190 and one or more application views 191, each of whichincludes instructions for handling touch events that occur within arespective view of the application's user interface. Each applicationview 191 of the application 136-1 includes one or more event recognizers180. Typically, a respective application view 191 includes a pluralityof event recognizers 180. In other embodiments, one or more of eventrecognizers 180 are part of a separate module, such as a user interfacekit (not shown) or a higher level object from which application 136-1inherits methods and other properties. In some embodiments, a respectiveevent handler 190 includes one or more of: data updater 176, objectupdater 177, GUI updater 178, and/or event data 179 received from eventsorter 170. Event handler 190 optionally utilizes or calls data updater176, object updater 177 or GUI updater 178 to update the applicationinternal state 192. Alternatively, one or more of the application views191 includes one or more respective event handlers 190. Also, in someembodiments, one or more of data updater 176, object updater 177, andGUI updater 178 are included in a respective application view 191.

A respective event recognizer 180 receives event information (e.g.,event data 179) from event sorter 170, and identifies an event from theevent information. Event recognizer 180 includes event receiver 182 andevent comparator 184. In some embodiments, event recognizer 180 alsoincludes at least a subset of: metadata 183, and event deliveryinstructions 188 (which optionally include sub-event deliveryinstructions).

Event receiver 182 receives event information from event sorter 170. Theevent information includes information about a sub-event, for example, atouch or a touch movement. Depending on the sub-event, the eventinformation also includes additional information, such as location ofthe sub-event. When the sub-event concerns motion of a touch, the eventinformation optionally also includes speed and direction of thesub-event. In some embodiments, events include rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another (e.g., from a portrait orientation to alandscape orientation, or vice versa), and the event informationincludes corresponding information about the current orientation (alsocalled device attitude) of the device.

Event comparator 184 compares the event information to predefined eventor sub-event definitions and, based on the comparison, determines anevent or sub-event, or determines or updates the state of an event orsub-event. In some embodiments, event comparator 184 includes eventdefinitions 186. Event definitions 186 contain definitions of events(e.g., predefined sequences of sub-events), for example, event 1(187-1), event 2 (187-2), and others. In some embodiments, sub-events inan event 187 include, for example, touch begin, touch end, touchmovement, touch cancellation, and multiple touching. In one example, thedefinition for event 1 (187-1) is a double tap on a displayed object.The double tap, for example, comprises a first touch (touch begin) onthe displayed object for a predetermined phase, a first lift-off (touchend) for a predetermined phase, a second touch (touch begin) on thedisplayed object for a predetermined phase, and a second lift-off (touchend) for a predetermined phase. In another example, the definition forevent 2 (187-2) is a dragging on a displayed object. The dragging, forexample, comprises a touch (or contact) on the displayed object for apredetermined phase, a movement of the touch across touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and lift-off of the touch (touch end). In some embodiments,the event also includes information for one or more associated eventhandlers 190.

In some embodiments, event definition 187 includes a definition of anevent for a respective user-interface object. In some embodiments, eventcomparator 184 performs a hit test to determine which user-interfaceobject is associated with a sub-event. For example, in an applicationview in which three user-interface objects are displayed ontouch-sensitive display 112, when a touch is detected on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, event comparator 184 performs a hit test to determine whichof the three user-interface objects is associated with the touch(sub-event). If each displayed object is associated with a respectiveevent handler 190, the event comparator uses the result of the hit testto determine which event handler 190 should be activated. For example,event comparator 184 selects an event handler associated with thesub-event and the object triggering the hit test.

In some embodiments, the definition for a respective event 187 alsoincludes delayed actions that delay delivery of the event informationuntil after it has been determined whether the sequence of sub-eventsdoes or does not correspond to the event recognizer's event type.

When a respective event recognizer 180 determines that the series ofsub-events do not match any of the events in event definitions 186, therespective event recognizer 180 enters an event impossible, eventfailed, or event ended state, after which it disregards subsequentsub-events of the touch-based gesture. In this situation, other eventrecognizers, if any, that remain active for the hit view continue totrack and process sub-events of an ongoing touch-based gesture.

In some embodiments, a respective event recognizer 180 includes metadata183 with configurable properties, flags, and/or lists that indicate howthe event delivery system should perform sub-event delivery to activelyinvolved event recognizers. In some embodiments, metadata 183 includesconfigurable properties, flags, and/or lists that indicate how eventrecognizers interact, or are enabled to interact, with one another. Insome embodiments, metadata 183 includes configurable properties, flags,and/or lists that indicate whether sub-events are delivered to varyinglevels in the view or programmatic hierarchy.

In some embodiments, a respective event recognizer 180 activates eventhandler 190 associated with an event when one or more particularsub-events of an event are recognized. In some embodiments, a respectiveevent recognizer 180 delivers event information associated with theevent to event handler 190. Activating an event handler 190 is distinctfrom sending (and deferred sending) sub-events to a respective hit view.In some embodiments, event recognizer 180 throws a flag associated withthe recognized event, and event handler 190 associated with the flagcatches the flag and performs a predefined process.

In some embodiments, event delivery instructions 188 include sub-eventdelivery instructions that deliver event information about a sub-eventwithout activating an event handler. Instead, the sub-event deliveryinstructions deliver event information to event handlers associated withthe series of sub-events or to actively involved views. Event handlersassociated with the series of sub-events or with actively involved viewsreceive the event information and perform a predetermined process.

In some embodiments, data updater 176 creates and updates data used inapplication 136-1. For example, data updater 176 updates the telephonenumber used in contacts module 137, or stores a video file used in videoplayer module 145. In some embodiments, object updater 177 creates andupdates objects used in application 136-1. For example, object updater177 creates a new user-interface object or updates the position of auser-interface object. GUI updater 178 updates the GUI. For example, GUIupdater 178 prepares display information and sends it to graphics module132 for display on a touch-sensitive display.

In some embodiments, event handler(s) 190 includes or has access to dataupdater 176, object updater 177, and GUI updater 178. In someembodiments, data updater 176, object updater 177, and GUI updater 178are included in a single module of a respective application 136-1 orapplication view 191. In other embodiments, they are included in two ormore software modules.

It shall be understood that the foregoing discussion regarding eventhandling of user touches on touch-sensitive displays and/or touchpadsalso applies to other forms of user inputs to operate multifunctiondevices 100 with input-devices, not all of which are initiated on touchscreens. For example, mouse movement and mouse button presses,optionally coordinated with single or multiple keyboard presses orholds; contact movements such as taps, drags, scrolls, etc., ontouch-pads; pen stylus inputs; movement of the device; oralinstructions; detected eye movements; biometric inputs; and/or anycombination thereof are optionally utilized as inputs corresponding tosub-events which define an event to be recognized.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable or non-portable multifunction device 100having a touch screen 112 in accordance with some embodiments. As statedabove, multifunction device 100 is described as having the variousillustrated structures (such as touch screen 112, speaker 111,accelerometer 168, microphone 113, etc.); however, it is understood thatthese structures optionally reside on separate devices. For example,display-related structures (e.g., display, speaker, etc.) and/orfunctions optionally reside on a separate display device, input-relatedstructures (e.g., touch-sensitive surface, microphone, accelerometer,etc.) and/or functions optionally reside on a separate input device, andremaining structures and/or functions optionally reside on multifunctiondevice 100.

The touch screen 112 optionally displays one or more graphics withinuser interface (UI) 200. In this embodiment, as well as others describedbelow, a user is enabled to select one or more of the graphics by makinga gesture on the graphics, for example, with one or more fingers 202(not drawn to scale in the figure) or one or more styluses 203 (notdrawn to scale in the figure). In some embodiments, selection of one ormore graphics occurs when the user breaks contact with the one or moregraphics. In some embodiments, the gesture optionally includes one ormore taps, one or more swipes (from left to right, right to left, upwardand/or downward) and/or a rolling of a finger (from right to left, leftto right, upward and/or downward) that has made contact with device 100.In some implementations or circumstances, inadvertent contact with agraphic does not select the graphic. For example, a swipe gesture thatsweeps over an application icon optionally does not select thecorresponding application when the gesture corresponding to selection isa tap.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more physical buttons, suchas “home” or menu button 204. As described previously, menu button 204is, optionally, used to navigate to any application 136 in a set ofapplications that are, optionally executed on device 100. Alternatively,in some embodiments, the menu button is implemented as a soft key in aGUI displayed on touch screen 112.

In one embodiment, device 100 includes touch screen 112, menu button204, push button 206 for powering the device on/off and locking thedevice, volume adjustment button(s) 208, Subscriber Identity Module(SIM) card slot 210, head set jack 212, and docking/charging externalport 124. Push button 206 is, optionally, used to turn the power on/offon the device by depressing the button and holding the button in thedepressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device bydepressing the button and releasing the button before the predefinedtime interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device or initiate anunlock process. In an alternative embodiment, device 100 also acceptsverbal input for activation or deactivation of some functions throughmicrophone 113. Device 100 also, optionally, includes one or morecontact intensity sensors 165 for detecting intensity of contacts ontouch screen 112 and/or one or more tactile output generators 167 forgenerating tactile outputs for a user of device 100.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary multifunction device with adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface in accordance with someembodiments. Device 300 need not include the display and thetouch-sensitive surface, as described above, but rather, in someembodiments, optionally communicates with the display and thetouch-sensitive surface on other devices. Additionally, device 300 neednot be portable. In some embodiments, device 300 is a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a tablet computer, a multimedia player device (such asa television or a set-top box), a navigation device, an educationaldevice (such as a child's learning toy), a gaming system, or a controldevice (e.g., a home or industrial controller). Device 300 typicallyincludes one or more processing units (CPU's) 310, one or more networkor other communications interfaces 360, memory 370, and one or morecommunication buses 320 for interconnecting these components.Communication buses 320 optionally include circuitry (sometimes called achipset) that interconnects and controls communications between systemcomponents. Device 300 includes input/output (I/O) interface 330comprising display 340, which is typically a touch screen display. I/Ointerface 330 also optionally includes a keyboard and/or mouse (or otherpointing device) 350 and touchpad 355, tactile output generator 357 forgenerating tactile outputs on device 300 (e.g., similar to tactileoutput generator(s) 167 described above with reference to FIG. 1A),sensors 359 (e.g., optical, acceleration, proximity, touch-sensitive,and/or contact intensity sensors similar to contact intensity sensor(s)165 described above with reference to FIG. 1A). Memory 370 includeshigh-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or otherrandom access solid state memory devices; and optionally includesnon-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices,optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or othernon-volatile solid state storage devices. Memory 370 optionally includesone or more storage devices remotely located from CPU(s) 310. In someembodiments, memory 370 stores programs, modules, and data structuresanalogous to the programs, modules, and data structures stored in memory102 of portable or non-portable multifunction device 100 (FIG. 1A), or asubset thereof. Furthermore, memory 370 optionally stores additionalprograms, modules, and data structures not present in memory 102 ofportable or non-portable multifunction device 100. For example, memory370 of device 300 optionally stores drawing module 380, presentationmodule 382, word processing module 384, website creation module 386,disk authoring module 388, and/or spreadsheet module 390, while memory102 of portable or non-portable multifunction device 100 (FIG. 1A)optionally does not store these modules.

Each of the above identified elements in FIG. 3 are, optionally, storedin one or more of the previously mentioned memory devices. Each of theabove identified modules corresponds to a set of instructions forperforming a function described above. The above identified modules orprograms (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented asseparate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus varioussubsets of these modules are, optionally, combined or otherwisere-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory 370optionally stores a subset of the modules and data structures identifiedabove. Furthermore, memory 370 optionally stores additional modules anddata structures not described above.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface on a device (e.g., device300, FIG. 3 ) with a touch-sensitive surface 451 (e.g., a tablet ortouchpad 355, FIG. 3 ) that is separate from the display 450 (e.g.,touch screen display 112). Device 300 also, optionally, includes one ormore contact intensity sensors (e.g., one or more of sensors 357) fordetecting intensity of contacts on touch-sensitive surface 451 and/orone or more tactile output generators 359 for generating tactile outputsfor a user of device 300.

Although some of the examples which follow will be given with referenceto inputs on touch screen display 112 (where the touch sensitive surfaceand the display are combined), in some embodiments, the device detectsinputs on a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the display,as shown in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments the touch sensitive surface(e.g., 451 in FIG. 4 ) has a primary axis (e.g., 452 in FIG. 4 ) thatcorresponds to a primary axis (e.g., 453 in FIG. 4 ) on the display(e.g., 450). In accordance with these embodiments, the device detectscontacts (e.g., 460 and 462 in FIG. 4 ) with the touch-sensitive surface451 at locations that correspond to respective locations on the display(e.g., in FIG. 4, 460 corresponds to 468 and 462 corresponds to 470). Inthis way, user inputs (e.g., contacts 460 and 462, and movementsthereof) detected by the device on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,451 in FIG. 4 ) are used by the device to manipulate the user interfaceon the display (e.g., 450 in FIG. 4 ) of the multifunction device whenthe touch-sensitive surface is separate from the display. It should beunderstood that similar methods are, optionally, used for other userinterfaces described herein.

Additionally, while the following examples are given primarily withreference to finger inputs (e.g., finger contacts, finger tap gestures,finger swipe gestures), it should be understood that, in someembodiments, one or more of the finger inputs are replaced with inputfrom another input device (e.g., a mouse based input or stylus input).For example, a swipe gesture is, optionally, replaced with a mouse click(e.g., instead of a contact) followed by movement of the cursor alongthe path of the swipe (e.g., instead of movement of the contact). Asanother example, a tap gesture is, optionally, replaced with a mouseclick while the cursor is located over the location of the tap gesture(e.g., instead of detection of the contact followed by ceasing to detectthe contact). Similarly, when multiple user inputs are simultaneouslydetected, it should be understood that multiple computer mice are,optionally, used simultaneously, or a mouse and finger contacts are,optionally, used simultaneously.

As used herein, the term “focus selector” refers to an input elementthat indicates a current part of a user interface with which a user isinteracting. In some implementations that include a cursor or otherlocation marker, the cursor acts as a “focus selector,” so that when aninput (e.g., a press input) is detected on a touch-sensitive surface(e.g., touchpad 355 in FIG. 3 or touch-sensitive surface 451 in FIG. 4 )while the cursor is over a particular user interface element (e.g., abutton, window, slider or other user interface element), the particularuser interface element is adjusted in accordance with the detectedinput. In some implementations that include a touch-screen display(e.g., touch-sensitive display system 112 in FIG. 1A or touch screen 112in FIG. 4A) that enables direct interaction with user interface elementson the touch-screen display, a detected contact on the touch-screen actsas a “focus selector,” so that when an input (e.g., a press input by thecontact) is detected on the touch-screen display at a location of aparticular user interface element (e.g., a button, window, slider orother user interface element), the particular user interface element isadjusted in accordance with the detected input. In some implementationsfocus is moved from one region of a user interface to another region ofthe user interface without corresponding movement of a cursor ormovement of a contact on a touch-screen display (e.g., by using a tabkey or arrow keys to move focus from one button to another button); inthese implementations, the focus selector moves in accordance withmovement of focus between different regions of the user interface.Without regard to the specific form taken by the focus selector, thefocus selector is generally the user interface element (or contact on atouch-screen display) that is controlled by the user so as tocommunicate the user's intended interaction with the user interface(e.g., by indicating, to the device, the element of the user interfacewith which the user is intending to interact). For example, the locationof a focus selector (e.g., a cursor, a contact or a selection box) overa respective button while a press input is detected on thetouch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touchpad or touch screen) will indicatethat the user is intending to activate the respective button (as opposedto other user interface elements shown on a display of the device).

In some embodiments described herein, one or more operations areperformed in response to detecting a gesture that includes a respectivepress input or in response to detecting the respective press inputperformed with a respective contact (or a plurality of contacts), wherethe respective press input is detected based at least in part ondetecting an increase in intensity of the contact (or plurality ofcontacts) above a press-input intensity threshold. In some embodiments,the respective operation is performed in response to detecting theincrease in intensity of the respective contact above the press-inputintensity threshold (e.g., a “down stroke” of the respective pressinput). In some embodiments, the press input includes an increase inintensity of the respective contact above the press-input intensitythreshold and a subsequent decrease in intensity of the contact belowthe press-input intensity threshold, and the respective operation isperformed in response to detecting the subsequent decrease in intensityof the respective contact below the press-input threshold (e.g., an “upstroke” of the respective press input).

In some embodiments, the device employs intensity hysteresis to avoidaccidental inputs sometimes termed “jitter,” where the device defines orselects a hysteresis intensity threshold with a predefined relationshipto the press-input intensity threshold (e.g., the hysteresis intensitythreshold is X intensity units lower than the press-input intensitythreshold or the hysteresis intensity threshold is 75%, 90% or somereasonable proportion of the press-input intensity threshold). Thus, insome embodiments, the press input includes an increase in intensity ofthe respective contact above the press-input intensity threshold and asubsequent decrease in intensity of the contact below the hysteresisintensity threshold that corresponds to the press-input intensitythreshold, and the respective operation is performed in response todetecting the subsequent decrease in intensity of the respective contactbelow the hysteresis intensity threshold (e.g., an “up stroke” of therespective press input). Similarly, in some embodiments, the press inputis detected only when the device detects an increase in intensity of thecontact from an intensity at or below the hysteresis intensity thresholdto an intensity at or above the press-input intensity threshold and,optionally, a subsequent decrease in intensity of the contact to anintensity at or below the hysteresis intensity, and the respectiveoperation is performed in response to detecting the press input (e.g.,the increase in intensity of the contact or the decrease in intensity ofthe contact, depending on the circumstances).

For ease of explanation, the description of operations performed inresponse to a press input associated with a press-input intensitythreshold or in response to a gesture including the press input are,optionally, triggered in response to detecting either: an increase inintensity of a contact above the press-input intensity threshold, anincrease in intensity of a contact from an intensity below thehysteresis intensity threshold to an intensity above the press-inputintensity threshold, a decrease in intensity of the contact below thepress-input intensity threshold, and/or a decrease in intensity of thecontact below the hysteresis intensity threshold corresponding to thepress-input intensity threshold. Additionally, in examples where anoperation is described as being performed in response to detecting adecrease in intensity of a contact below the press-input intensitythreshold, the operation is, optionally, performed in response todetecting a decrease in intensity of the contact below a hysteresisintensity threshold corresponding to, and lower than, the press-inputintensity threshold.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary architecture for thedevice 500 according to some embodiments of the disclosure. In theembodiment of FIG. 5 , media content is optionally received by device500 via network interface 502, which is optionally a wireless or wiredconnection. The one or more processors 504 optionally execute any numberof programs stored in memory 506 or storage, which optionally includesinstructions to perform one or more of the methods and/or processesdescribed herein (e.g., methods 700, 900, 1100, 1300, and/or 1500).

In some embodiments, display controller 508 causes the various userinterfaces of the disclosure to be displayed on display 500. Further,input to device 500 is optionally provided by remote 510 via remoteinterface 512, which is optionally a wireless or a wired connection. Itis understood that the embodiment of FIG. 5 is not meant to limit thefeatures of the device of the disclosure, and that other components tofacilitate other features described in the disclosure are optionallyincluded in the architecture of FIG. 5 as well. In some embodiments,device 500 optionally corresponds to one or more of multifunction device100 in FIGS. 1A and 2 and device 300 in FIG. 3 ; network interface 502optionally corresponds to one or more of RF circuitry 108, external port124, and peripherals interface 118 in FIGS. 1A and 2 , and networkcommunications interface 360 in FIG. 3 ; processor 504 optionallycorresponds to one or more of processor(s) 120 in FIG. 1A and CPU(s) 310in FIG. 3 ; display controller 508 optionally corresponds to one or moreof display controller 156 in FIG. 1A and I/O interface 330 in FIG. 3 ;memory 506 optionally corresponds to one or more of memory 102 in FIG.1A and memory 370 in FIG. 3 ; remote interface 512 optionallycorresponds to one or more of peripherals interface 118, and I/Osubsystem 106 (and/or its components) in FIG. 1A, and I/O interface 330in FIG. 3 ; remote 512 optionally corresponds to and or includes one ormore of speaker 111, touch-sensitive display system 112, microphone 113,optical sensor(s) 164, contact intensity sensor(s) 165, tactile outputgenerator(s) 167, other input control devices 116, accelerometer(s) 168,proximity sensor 166, and I/O subsystem 106 in FIG. 1A, andkeyboard/mouse 350, touchpad 355, tactile output generator(s) 357, andcontact intensity sensor(s) 359 in FIG. 3 , and touch-sensitive surface451 in FIG. 4 ; and, display 514 optionally corresponds to one or moreof touch-sensitive display system 112 in FIGS. 1A and 2 , and display340 in FIG. 3 .

User Interfaces and Associated Processes Automatic Grouping of Icons

Many electronic devices provide user interfaces for viewing andselecting applications. There is a need to provide a fast way toorganize applications of an electronic device in an intuitive manner.The embodiments described below provide an intuitive way toautomatically group icons associated with applications of an electronicdevice based on metadata associated with the applications.

FIGS. 6A-6S illustrate exemplary user interfaces for automaticallygrouping icons in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.The user interfaces in these figures are used to illustrate theprocesses described below, including the processes described below withreference to FIGS. 7A-7D.

FIGS. 6A-6G illustrate an exemplary application menu user interface ofan electronic device 500, presented on a display (e.g., display 514 ofdevice 500). The application menu interface includes groups of icons,including a “Main” group 602-1, an “Entertainment” group 602-2, a“Sports” group 602-3, and a “Kids” group 602-4. Each group is presentedadjacent to a corresponding heading “Main” 604-1, “Entertainment 604-2,“Sports” 604-3, and “Kids” 604-4. The icons are automatically groupedbased at least in part on metadata of applications associated with theicons. For example, the plurality of icons 602-2 are optionally groupedin the “Entertainment” group based on metadata of the applicationsassociated with the icons, such as a category. Similarly, theapplications associated with the icons in the “Sports” group 602-3optionally have metadata categorizing the applications as “Sports”applications, and the associated icons are optionally grouped togetheraccordingly. An application associated with an icon is optionallyinvoked in response to input highlighting an icon (e.g., the “Today”icon 606 in FIG. 6A, the “Music” icon 608 in FIG. 6B, or the “MLB” iconin FIG. 6C, etc.) and/or selecting the icon. Icons are optionallygrouped based on metadata when an application is downloaded (orpurchased), and the icons can be reorganized manually by a user.

FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate the user interface in a first mode, and FIGS.6D-6G illustrate the user interface in a second mode. The first modeallows the user to easily select a particular icon, whereas the secondmode gives the user a bird's eye view of the available groups and allowsthe user to quickly move between groups, while maintaining thearrangement from the first mode. In the second mode, the icons and/orheadings are optionally displayed zoomed out relative to the icons andheadings as displayed in the first mode to give the user a broader viewof the various groups in the second mode. Further, scrolling among theicons optionally functions differently in the first and second modes. Inthe first mode, the groups of icons are optionally scrolled inproportion to a magnitude of the input, allowing free and continuousscrolling among the groups as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C. In the second mode,the plurality of groups are optionally scrolled from one group to thenext in response to a swipe input. For example, FIGS. 6D-6G illustratescrolling the groups of icons such that the next group is moved to theedge of the user interface (e.g., group 602-2 is moved to the left edgeof the user interface in FIG. 6E, group 602-3 is moved to the left edgeof the user interface in FIG. 6F, and group 602-4 is moved to the leftedge of the user interface in FIG. 6G). This allows a user to quicklymove to a desired group in the second mode.

FIGS. 6H-6L illustrate the user interface in a second mode allowing therearranging of groups, and the new arrangement being maintained when theuser interface is returned to the first mode in FIG. 6M. FIG. 6Hillustrates group 602-2 being selected for rearrangement (e.g., inresponse to a selection input), and a visual characteristic of the group602-2 being changed to indicate the group is selected (e.g., the groupis displayed in a different color or otherwise highlighted). FIGS. 6I-6Killustrate the group 602-2 being moved to the left of group 602-1 andeventually switching places (e.g., in response to a movement input suchas a swipe). FIGS. 6L and 6M illustrate the new arrangement of groups602-2 and 602-1 being maintained between the second and first modes,respectively.

FIGS. 6N-6P illustrate automatically adding icons to groups based onmetadata of associated applications. FIG. 60 illustrates adding a“Weather” icon 612 to the “Main” group 602-1 based on metadata of anassociated weather application. For example, the metadata optionallyindicates that the weather application should be associated a mainapplication category. The “Weather” icon 612 is added to the nextavailable position in the group 602-1. FIG. 6P illustrates adding a“Stream” icon 614 to the “Entertainment” group 602-2 based on metadataof an associated “Stream” application. For example, the metadataoptionally indicates that the “Stream” application should be associatedan entertainment application category. The “Stream” icon 614 is added tothe next available position in the group 602-2.

FIGS. 6Q-6S illustrate adding an icon to a favorites group. Favoritesgroup 618 is optionally displayed adjacent to a “Favorites” heading 616.In some embodiments, an application associated with icon 614 can beadded to the favorites group, and the icon for the application can bedisplayed in both the favorites group 618 (icon 616) and the group 602-2to which it was automatically added (icon 614), as illustrated in FIG.6R. In some embodiments, an icon 614 can be moved from the group 602-2to which it was automatically added to a different group, such as group618, as illustrated in FIG. 6S.

FIGS. 7A-7D are flow diagrams illustrating a method of automaticallygrouping icons in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.The method is optionally performed at an electronic device as describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1A-B and 2-5 (e.g., electronic device 100,300, or 500, etc.). Some operations in method 700 are, optionally,combined and/or the order of some operations is, optionally, changed.

As described below, the method 700 provides ways of automaticallygrouping icons in an application menu user interface. The method reducesthe cognitive burden on a user when interacting with a user interface onthe device by providing an intuitive user interface for selecting anapplication, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface.For battery-operated electronic devices, increasing the efficiency ofthe user's interaction with the user interfaces conserves power andincreases the time between battery charges.

In some embodiments, an electronic device 500 with one or moreprocessors and memory generates (702) for presentation on a display(e.g., a remote display device or a display that is integrated into theelectronic device, such as display 514) a user interface including aplurality of groups of icons (e.g., groups of application icons,document icons, content icons, etc.). For example, FIGS. 6A-G illustrategroups of icons including a “Main” group 602-1, an “Entertainment” group602-2, a “Sports” group 602-3, and a “Kids” group 602-4. A plurality ofthe icons have been grouped (704) based at least in part on metadata(e.g., an application category, such as entertainment, sports, kids,games, favorites, recent applications, among other possibilities) ofapplications associated with the icons.

The electronic device 500 receives (720) input selecting a respectiveicon. In response (722) to receiving the input selecting a respectiveicon, the electronic device 500 invokes (724) an instance of anapplication associated with the respective icon. For example, input isoptionally received selecting a “Main” group 602-1, an “Entertainment”group 602-2, a “Sports” group 602-3, and a “Kids” group 602-4, and acorresponding application is optionally invoked.

In some embodiments, the user interface has (706) first and secondmodes. The electronic device 500 optionally displays (712) the iconshaving a first visual characteristic in the first mode (e.g., size,brightness, z-position in three-dimensional space), and optionallydisplays (716) the icons having a second visual characteristic (e.g.,decreased size, increased brightness, or different z-position of thesets in three-dimensional space) in the second mode. In someembodiments, displaying the icons having the first visual characteristicincludes displaying (714) a single group of icons at a first zoom level(with larger icons), and displaying the icons having the second visualcharacteristic includes displaying (718) multiple groups of icons at asecond zoom level (with smaller icons). For example, more icons aredisplayed in the second mode, to give user context, while maintainingthe arrangement from first mode, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C (firstmode) and FIGS. 6D-6G (second mode).

In some embodiments, the electronic device receives (726) inputscrolling the plurality of groups of icons. In response (728) to theinput scrolling the plurality of groups of icons, in the first mode, theelectronic device 500 optionally scrolls (730) the plurality of groupsof icons in proportion to a magnitude of the input (e.g., in proportionto a distance traveled by touch input, or velocity of touch input,etc.), as illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C (scrolling groups 602-1, 602-2,602-3, and 602-4). In response to the input (728) scrolling theplurality o groups of icons, in the second mode, the electronic device500 optionally scrolls (732) the plurality of groups of icons from afirst group to a second group based on a determination that a magnitudeof the input exceeds a threshold (e.g., scrolling from the first groupto the second group only if a distance traveled by touch input exceeds adistance threshold, and, otherwise, remaining on or bouncing back to thefirst group, among other possibilities), as illustrated in FIGS. 6D-6G(scrolling groups 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, and 602-4).

In some embodiments, the electronic device 500 receives (734) additionalinput. In response (736) to receiving the additional input, in thesecond mode, the electronic device 500 optionally rearranges (738) oneor more groups of icons based on the additional input (e.g., changing avisual arrangement of the groups, removing/adding a group, renaming agroup, etc.; the same input in the first mode does not rearrange thegroups), as illustrated in FIGS. 6H-6L (rearranging group 602-2 andgroup 602-1 to change the order of the groups). In some embodiments, inaccordance with a determination that the user interface is in the secondmode, one or more icons are optionally rearranged within a group inresponse to receiving the additional input.

In some embodiments, the electronic device 500 receives (740) first userinput to change from the first mode to the second mode, and optionallyreceives (742) second user input to change from the second mode to thefirst mode. The first user input and the second user input areoptionally opposite inputs (744) (e.g., pinch in to enter second mode,pinch out to return to first mode; swipe up to enter second mode, swipedown to enter first mode; twist two fingers clockwise to enter secondmode, twist two fingers counter-clockwise to enter first mode; etc.).

In some embodiments, the electronic device receives (746) inputrequesting adding an application (e.g., requesting installation of anapplication or requesting purchase of an application). In response (748)to receiving the input requesting adding the application, the electronicdevice optionally adds (750) an icon associated with the application toa first group based on metadata of the application (e.g., adding theicon to a category associated with the application). In someembodiments, the electronic device optionally receives (756) inputrequesting adding an additional application. In response (758) toreceiving the input requesting adding the additional application, theelectronic device optionally adds an icon associated with the additionalapplication to a second group (different from the first group) based onmetadata of the additional application. For example, FIG. 60 illustratesautomatically adding icon 612 to group 602-1, and FIG. 6P illustratesautomatically adding icon 614 to group 602-2 (different from group602-1).

In some embodiments, in response (748) to receiving the input requestingadding the application, in accordance with a determination that theapplication is in a first group, the electronic device displays (752)the application in a next available position in the first group, and inaccordance with a determination that the application is in a secondgroup, the electronic device optionally displays (754) the applicationin a next available position in the second group. For example, FIG. 60illustrates the icon 612 in the next available position in group 602-1,and FIG. 6P illustrates the icon 614 in the next available position ingroup 602-2.

In some embodiments, the plurality of icons includes a first iconautomatically grouped in a first group, such as icon 614 automaticallygrouped in group 602-2, as illustrated in FIG. 6Q. The electronic deviceoptionally receives (760) a request to move the first icon to a secondgroup (e.g., user input dragging the first icon from the first group tothe second group). In response to receiving the request, the electronicdevice optionally moves (762) the first icon from the first group to thesecond group. The icon is optionally maintained in the newuser-specified location (e.g., metadata is for initial sorting step justwhen new app is added). For example, FIG. 6S illustrates icon 614 havingbeen moved from group 602-2 to group 602-1.

In some embodiments, the electronic device receives (764) a user requestto add the first icon to a favorites group (such as favorites group 616in FIGS. 6Q and 6R). In response to receiving the user request, theelectronic device optionally associates (766) the first icon with thefavorites group. The electronic device optionally receives (768) arequest to display the first group and, in response to receiving therequest to display the first group, optionally displays (770) the firsticon in the first group. The electronic device optionally receives (772)a request to display the favorites group and, in response to receivingthe request to display the favorites group, optionally displays (774)the first icon in the favorites group. For example, FIG. 6R illustratesan “Stream” icon in both the favorites group 618 (as icon 616) and thegroup 602-2 (as icon 614).

In some embodiments, each group includes (708) a grid of icons, eachgrid of icons having a number of columns that depends on a number ofitems in the associated group. A first group of icons optionally has(710) a first number of columns based on a total number of icons in thefirst group (e.g., based on a maximum number of icons for each column ina grid of icons), and a second group of icons optionally has a secondnumber of columns, different from the first number of columns, based ona total number of icons in the second group. For example, in FIGS.6A-6C, the “Main” group 602-1 has 14 icons, arranged into 5 columns ofat most 3 icons, and the “Entertainment” group 602-2 has 8 icons,arranged into 3 columns of at most 3 icons.

The operations in the information processing methods described aboveare, optionally, implemented by running one or more functional modulesin an information processing apparatus such as general purposeprocessors (e.g., as described above with respect to FIGS. 1A and 3 ) orapplication specific chips.

The operations described above with reference to FIGS. 7A-7D are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. Forexample, generating operation 702, receiving operation 720, and invokingoperation 724 are, optionally implemented by event sorter 170, eventrecognizer 180, and event handler 190. Event monitor 171 in event sorter170 detects a contact on touch-sensitive display 112, and eventdispatcher module 174 delivers the event information to application136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 of application 136-1 comparesthe event information to respective event definitions 186, anddetermines whether a first contact at a first location on thetouch-sensitive surface corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event,such as selection of an object on a user interface. When a respectivepredefined event or sub-event is detected, event recognizer 180activates an event handler 190 associated with the detection of theevent or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionally utilizes or calls dataupdater 176 or object updater 177 to update the application internalstate 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190 accesses a respectiveGUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by the application.Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinary skill in theart how other processes can be implemented based on the componentsdepicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

It should be understood that the particular order in which theoperations in FIGS. 7A-7D have been described is merely exemplary and isnot intended to indicate that the described order is the only order inwhich the operations could be performed. One of ordinary skill in theart would recognize various ways to reorder the operations describedherein. Additionally, it should be noted that details of other processesdescribed herein with respect to other methods described herein (e.g.,methods 900, 1100, and 1300) are also applicable in an analogous mannerto method 700 described above with respect to FIGS. 7A-7D. For example,the user interfaces, user interface objects, icons, groups, headings,visual content, and electronic devices described above with reference tomethod 700 optionally have one or more of the characteristics of theuser interfaces, user interface objects, icons, groups, headings, visualcontent, and electronic devices described herein with reference to othermethods described herein (e.g., methods 900, 1100, and 1300). Forbrevity, these details are not repeated here.

Application Switching User Interface

Many electronic devices provide user interfaces for switching betweenapplications for consuming content items. There is a need to provide anintuitive interface for switching between content applications in anintuitive manner. The embodiments described below provide an intuitiveapplication switching user interface including representations of statesof various applications.

FIGS. 8A-8D illustrate an exemplary application switching user interfacein accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. The userinterfaces in these figures are used to illustrate processes describedbelow, including the processes described below with reference to FIGS.9A-9C.

FIG. 8A illustrates visual content 802 displayed on a display 514 of anelectronic device 500. The visual content 802 illustrated in FIG. 8A isvideo of a television show “Playing House” in a television (TV)application. A request to display an application switching userinterface is optionally received, and the application switching userinterface is displayed in response, as illustrated in FIGS. 8B-8D. FIGS.8B-8D illustrate the application switching interface overlaid on thevisual content 802.

In FIGS. 8B-8D, the application switching user interface includes userinterface objects 804-1, 804-2, 804-3, 804-4 and 804-5 for switchingbetween different applications corresponding to the user interfaceobjects. User interface object 804-1 corresponds to the TV applicationand includes a representation of the TV application's state. However, inrepresenting the state of the TV application, the user interface object804-1 does not merely include a screenshot of the state of the TVapplication (as illustrated in FIG. 8A). Rather, the episode of “PlayingHouse” was active in the TV application when the request to display theapplication switching interface was received, and the user interfaceobject 804-1 includes the logo of “Playing House” accordingly.

Both user interface objects 804-1 and 804-4 correspond to the TVapplication, but each object represents a different aspect of the stateof the TV application. User interface object 804-1 represents thecurrently playing episode of “Playing House”, whereas user interfaceobject 804-4 represents “Mad Men”, other content available in the TVapplication. For example, “Mad Men” is optionally recently accessedcontent, content that is currently airing on a different channel, orcontent in a watch list or other queue, among other possibilities.Selection of either user interface objects 804-1 or 804-4 causes thedevice to invoke the TV application, but selecting 804-1 causes thedevice to invoke the TV application playing “Playing House” whereasselecting 804-4 causes the device to invoke the TV application playing“Mad Men”.

User interface objects 804-2, 804-3, and 804-5 each include multipleimages representing the state of corresponding applications. Forexample, the user interface object 804-2 includes three photos from aphotos application. In some embodiments, selecting the user interfaceobject 804-2 optionally invokes the photos application displaying anyand/or all of the three photos in the user interface object 804-2. Userinterface object 804-3 includes four album covers from a musicapplication. The album covers are, optionally, music that is currentlyplaying, recently played, or upcoming in a music queue. Although themusic application optionally only plays one song at a time, thecorresponding user interface object 804-3 includes images representingmultiple content items. Similarly, the user interface object 804-5includes images representing multiple TV shows, and the TV applicationoptionally only plays one episode at a time.

In FIG. 8D, the application switching user interface has been scrolledhorizontally to reveal user interface object 804-6, representing thestate of a messaging application. The state of the messaging applicationis optionally received from the messaging application itself and, asillustrated in FIG. 8D, shows a conversation. A most recent message inthe conversation is optionally received after the application was lastaccessed. For example, when the messaging application was last accessedonly the first two messages were displayed, and the current state of theapplication as illustrated in FIG. 8D now shows a more recent message“Available tonight for poker?”

FIGS. 9A-9C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of an applicationswitching user interface in accordance with some embodiments. The methodis optionally performed at an electronic device as described above withreference to FIGS. 1-5 (e.g., electronic device 100, 300, or 500, etc.).Some operations in method 900 are, optionally, combined and/or the orderof some operations is, optionally, changed.

As described below, the method 900 provides an application switchinguser interface. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a user wheninteracting with a user interface on the device by providing anintuitive user interface for switching applications, thereby creating amore efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated electronicdevices, increasing the efficiency of the user's interaction with theuser interfaces conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

In some embodiments, an electronic device 500 with one or moreprocessors and memory generates (902) for presentation on a display(e.g., display 514) a first user interface of a first application (e.g.,a user interface including playing video content, a user interfaceincluding representation(s) of playing audio content, such as album art,an audio progress bar, a playlist, etc.). For example, FIG. 8Aillustrates a first user interface playing video content 802.

While the first user interface is presented on the display, theelectronic device receives (904) a request to display an applicationswitching user interface (e.g., user input to access an applicationswitching user interface by pressing and holding a home button).

In response to the request to display the application switching userinterface, the electronic device generates (906) for presentation on thedisplay (e.g., a remote display device or a display that is integratedinto the electronic device) a second user interface including aplurality of user interface objects for switching between differentapplications (e.g., objects 804-1, 804-2, 804-3, 804-4 and 804-5 inFIGS. 8B-8D). A first user interface object of the plurality of userinterface objects corresponds (908) to the first application, and thefirst user interface object includes (910) a representation of a stateof the first application. The first user interface object is generated(912) from images (e.g., album art images, movie poster images, etc.)that are representative of content items available for presentation bythe first application. A first image of the images is not included (914)in the first user interface of the first application (e.g., therespective image corresponds to content that is not the content playingwhen the request to display the application switching user interface wasreceived, and thus the respective image is not a screenshot or othersnapshot of the first application). For example, in FIGS. 8A-8D, userinterface object 804-1 corresponds to the TV application, and isgenerated from a logo representative of the TV show that was playing inthe TV application, but the logo is not included in the user interfaceof the TV application as illustrated in FIG. 8A.

In some embodiments, generating the second user interface (906)includes, in accordance with a determination that the first applicationwas recently accessed, generating (920) the first user interface objectincluding representations of recently accessed content items (e.g.,representations of TV shows, movies, songs, etc. that have been accessedwithin a predetermined threshold time period, such as in user interfaceobject 804-1 in FIG. 8B), and, in accordance with a determination thatthe first application was not recently accessed, generating (922) thefirst user interface object including representations of upcomingcontent items (e.g., content items in a watch list, content items aboutto be released or air on television, etc., such as in user interfaceobject 804-5 in FIG. 8D). The representation of the state of theapplication optionally includes a representation of content that isplayed when the first application is launched (not necessarily contentthat was playing when it was closed). For example, if a user lastaccessed the television app the previous night, upcoming televisionshows may be displayed in the application switching user interface, asopposed to the television shows that were viewed the previous night thatare no longer being aired.

In some embodiments, generating the second user interface (906) includesreceiving (924) a representation of a state of a correspondingapplication from the corresponding application (e.g., an application mayprovide its own representation of state, such as a current iMessage, alast Facebook post, etc.). For example, FIG. 8D illustrates a userinterface object 804-6 corresponding to a messaging application with acurrent conversation.

In some embodiments, the first user interface object includes (916) arepresentation of a first content item associated with the firstapplication. In some embodiments, generating the second user interfaceoptionally includes generating (926) a second user interface object ofthe plurality of user interface objects including a representation of asecond content item associated with the first application (e.g.,multiple objects may be associated with the same app, one object foreach of a certain number of recent channels/shows/movies that the userwatched, and each object may be separately selectable to view thecontent item associated with the representation). For example, in FIG.8B, user interface object 804-1 represents “Playing House” associatedwith the TV application, and user interface object 804-4 represents “MadMen” associated with the TV application.

In some embodiments, while the second user interface is presented on thedisplay, the electronic device optionally receives (930) a selection ofone of the plurality of user interface objects. In accordance withreceiving a selection of the first user interface object, the electronicdevice optionally invokes (932) the first application playing the firstcontent item, and in accordance with receiving a selection of the seconduser interface object, the electronic device optionally invokes (934)the first application playing the second content item. For example, inFIG. 8B, selection of either user interface objects 804-1 or 804-4causes the device to invoke the TV application, but selecting 804-1causes the device to invoke the TV application playing “Playing House”whereas selecting 804-4 causes the device to invoke the TV applicationplaying “Mad Men”.

In some embodiments, the second user interface includes (928) aplurality of columns, two or more of the plurality of columns includingthe plurality of user interface objects, each representing a state of acorresponding application. For example, in FIG. 8D, each of userinterface objects 804-2, 804-3, and 804-5 are columns including aplurality of user interface objects, each representing a state of acorresponding application.

In some embodiments, the first user interface object includes (918)representations of a plurality of content items, and the firstapplication is configured to play a single content item at a time. Forexample, in FIG. 8D, the user interface object 804-5 includes imagesrepresenting multiple TV shows, and the TV application optionally onlyplays one episode at a time.

The operations in the information processing methods described aboveare, optionally, implemented by running one or more functional modulesin an information processing apparatus such as general purposeprocessors (e.g., as described above with respect to FIGS. 1A and 3 ) orapplication specific chips.

The operations described above with reference to FIGS. 9A-9C are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. Forexample, generating operation 902, receiving operation 904, andgenerating operation 906 are, optionally implemented by event sorter170, event recognizer 180, and event handler 190. Event monitor 171 inevent sorter 170 detects a contact on touch-sensitive display 112, andevent dispatcher module 174 delivers the event information toapplication 136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 of application136-1 compares the event information to respective event definitions186, and determines whether a first contact at a first location on thetouch-sensitive surface corresponds to a predefined event or sub-event,such as selection of an object on a user interface. When a respectivepredefined event or sub-event is detected, event recognizer 180activates an event handler 190 associated with the detection of theevent or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionally utilizes or calls dataupdater 176 or object updater 177 to update the application internalstate 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190 accesses a respectiveGUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by the application.Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinary skill in theart how other processes can be implemented based on the componentsdepicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

It should be understood that the particular order in which theoperations in FIGS. 9A-9C have been described is merely exemplary and isnot intended to indicate that the described order is the only order inwhich the operations could be performed. One of ordinary skill in theart would recognize various ways to reorder the operations describedherein. Additionally, it should be noted that details of other processesdescribed herein with respect to other methods described herein (e.g.,methods 700, 1100, and 1300) are also applicable in an analogous mannerto method 900 described above with respect to FIGS. 9A-9C. For example,the user interfaces, user interface objects, icons, groups, headings,visual content, and electronic devices described above with reference tomethod 900 optionally have one or more of the characteristics of theuser interfaces, user interface objects, icons, groups, headings, visualcontent, and electronic devices described herein with reference to othermethods described herein (e.g., methods 700, 1100, and 1300). Forbrevity, these details are not repeated here.

Two-Dimensional and One-Dimensional Arrays of User Interface Objects

Many electronic devices provide user interfaces overlaid on visualcontent. There is a need to provide an intuitive interface overlaid onvisual content that obscures a minimal portion of the visual content.The embodiments below provide an intuitive way two switch from a userinterface including a two-dimensional array of user interface objects toa user interface including a one-dimensional array of the same userinterface objects.

FIGS. 10A-10J illustrate an exemplary user interface includingone-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays of user interface objects inaccordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. The user interfacesin these figures are used to illustrate processes described below,including the processes described below with reference to FIGS. 11A-11C.

FIG. 10A illustrates an example user interface overlaid on visualcontent 1002 on a display 514 of an electronic device 500. The userinterface includes groups of icons 1004-1 and 1004-2 arranged in atwo-dimensional array of user interface objects. The user interfaceobjects are divided into two groups: “Main” (with a correspondingheading 1006-1) and “Entertainment” (with a corresponding heading1006-2).

In response to a request to change display of the set of icons, in FIGS.10B-10G, the two-dimensional array is no longer presented on the display514, and the user interface objects are presented arranged in aone-dimensional array 1008 that preserves the grouping from thetwo-dimensional array (e.g., even though the icons have been rearrangedfrom a two-dimensional array to a one-dimensional array, they are stillgrouped into the same groups). The one-dimensional array 1008 in FIG.10B obscures a smaller portion of the visual content 1002 than thetwo-dimensional array (made up of groups 1004-1 and 1004-2) in FIG. 10A.

As the one-dimensional array scrolls along the bottom edge of thedisplay in FIGS. 10B-10G, the icons from the “Main” group remain groupedtogether, the icons from the “Entertainment” group remain groupedtogether, etc. Further, the heading corresponding to the group currentlyonscreen remains stationary on the left edge of the display as the iconsscroll off screen. For example, “Main” heading 1006-1 remains at theedge of the display in FIGS. 10B-10D and is replaced by the“Entertainment” heading 1006-2 in FIG. 10E. The “Entertainment” heading1006-2 remains stationary at the edge of the display in FIGS. 10F and10G as icons in the one-dimensional array are scrolled along the bottomedge of the display.

In response to an additional request to change display of the set ofuser interface objects, in FIGS. 10H and 10I, the one-dimensional arrayis no longer presented on the display 514, and only headings 1006-1,1006-2, 1006-3, and 1006-4 are presented on the display. In FIG. 10H,the “Main” heading 1006-1 is highlighted, and in FIG. 10I, the“Entertainment” heading 1006-2 is highlighted. In response to receivinga selection of the “Entertainment” heading 1006-2 while it ishighlighted, the user interface objects associated with the“Entertainment” group are displayed in a one-dimensional array in FIG.10J. This enables a user to quickly switch between different groups oficons without requiring the user to scroll through the one-dimensionalarray to switch between groups.

FIGS. 11A-11C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of a userinterface including one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays of userinterface objects in accordance with some embodiments. The method isoptionally performed at an electronic device as described above withreference to FIGS. 1-5 (e.g., electronic device 100, 300, or 500, etc.).Some operations in method 1100 are, optionally, combined and/or theorder of some operations is, optionally, changed.

As described below, the method 1100 provides one-dimensional andtwo-dimensional arrays of user interface objects. The method reduces thecognitive burden on a user when interacting with a user interface on thedevice by providing an intuitive user interface that obscures a smallerportion of visual content, thereby creating a more efficienthuman-machine interface. For battery-operated electronic devices,increasing the efficiency of the user's interaction with the userinterfaces conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

In some embodiments, an electronic device 500 with one or moreprocessors and memory generates (1104) for presentation on a display(e.g., a remote display device or a display that is integrated into theelectronic device) a two-dimensional (e.g., a multi-column, multi-row)array of a set of user interface objects. The user interface objects aredivided (1106) along a first (horizontal) axis into a plurality ofgroups, including a first group (that includes a plurality of columns,such as group 1004-1 in FIG. 10A) and a second group (that includes aplurality of columns, such as group 1004-2 in FIG. 10A).

While the two-dimensional array is presented on the display, theelectronic device receives (1110) a request to change display of the setof user interface objects (e.g., a swipe up or down, a button press,etc.). In response to the request (1112), the electronic device ceases(1114) to present the two-dimensional array and presents (1116) the userinterface objects arranged in a one-dimensional array (e.g., a singlerow or column) that preserves the grouping from the two-dimensionalarray. For example, FIGS. 10B-10G illustrate the one-dimensional array1008 that preserves the grouping of the icons in the two-dimensionalarray illustrated in FIG. 10A.

In some embodiments, the electronic device generates (1102) forpresentation on the display visual content (e.g., video content 1002 inFIG. 10A, one or more still images, a screen saver, etc.). Thetwo-dimensional array is optionally generated (1108) for presentationover the visual content, the two-dimensional array obscuring a firstportion of the visual content. For example, the groups 1004-1 and 1004-2obscure a first portion of the visual content 1002 in FIG. 10A. Theone-dimensional array is optionally generated (1118) for presentationover the visual content, the one-dimensional array obscuring a secondportion of the visual content, smaller than the first portion of thevisual content (e.g., the one-dimensional array presents fewer icons onthe display than the two-dimensional array, thus a smaller portion ofthe visual content is obscured). For example, the one-dimensional array1008 in FIG. 10B obscures smaller portion of the visual content 1002than do the groups 1004-1 and 1004-2 in FIG. 10A.

In some embodiments, the electronic device generates (1120) forpresentation on the display a plurality of headings, including a firstheading corresponding to the first group and a second headingcorresponding to the second group. The electronic device optionallyscrolls (1122) the headings as the two-dimensional array is scrolled(e.g., the headings scroll off the display with the corresponding group,and headings are, optionally, not pinned to an edge of the userinterface). The electronic device optionally scrolls (1124) the headingsas the one-dimensional array is scrolled (e.g., with a heading pinned toan edge of the user interface, such that when a respective group of userinterface objects is onscreen the corresponding heading is pinned to theedge of the user interface). For example, heading 1006-1 corresponds togroup 1004-1 and heading 1006-2 corresponds to group 1004-2. Theheadings are pinned to the edge of the display when scrolled in theone-dimensional array, as illustrated in FIGS. 10B-10G.

In some embodiments, while the one-dimensional array and the pluralityof headings are presented on the display, the electronic deviceoptionally receives (1126) an additional request to change display ofthe set of user interface objects (e.g., a swipe up or down, a buttonpress, etc.). In response to the additional request, the electronicdevice optionally ceases (1128) to present the one-dimensional array andcontinues to present the plurality of headings (and the user can selectany of the headings to view the user interface objects associated withthe heading). For example, FIGS. 10H and 10I illustrate theone-dimensional array 1008 no longer displayed while continuing topresent headings 1006-1, 1006-2, 1006-3, and 1006-4.

In some embodiments, while the plurality of headings is presented on thedisplay, the electronic device optionally receives (1130) a selection ofthe first heading (e.g., a tap or a tap and hold while the first headingis highlighted. In response to the selection of the first heading, theelectronic device optionally presents (1134) one or more user interfaceobjects associated with the first group (the user interface objectsarranged in the one-dimensional array). For example, FIG. 10Jillustrates presenting icons associated with the “Entertainment” groupin response to selection of the “Entertainment” heading in FIG. 10I.

In some embodiments, receiving the selection of the first headingincludes (1132) detecting touchdown of a first contact. The electronicdevice optionally detects (1136) liftoff of the first contact and, inresponse to detecting liftoff of the first contact, ceases (1138) topresent the one or more user interface objects associated with the firstgroup.

In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that theselection of the first heading is a tap gesture (e.g., the amount oftime from touchdown of a contact to liftoff of the contact is less thana predetermined threshold), the electronic device optionally presents(1140) the one or more user interface objects associated with the firstgroup until further input is detected. In accordance with adetermination that the selection of the first heading is a hold gesture(e.g., the amount of time from touchdown of a contact to liftoff of thecontact is exceeds a predetermined threshold), the electronic deviceoptionally ceases (1142) to present the one or more user interfaceobjects associated with the first group in response to completion of thehold gesture (e.g., in response to detecting liftoff of the contact fromthe touch-sensitive surface).

In some embodiments, while one or more user interface objects associatedwith the first group are presented on the display in the one-dimensionalarray, the electronic device optionally receives (1144) a swipe gesturehaving a first characteristic (e.g., a finger speed, a duration, etc.).In accordance with a determination that the first characteristic of theswipe gesture exceeds a predetermined threshold, the electronic deviceoptionally scrolls (1146) the one-dimensional array such that one ormore user interface objects associated with the second group arepresented on the display (e.g., the row scrolls to the first icon in thenext group). In accordance with a determination that the firstcharacteristic of the swipe gesture does not exceed a predeterminedthreshold, the electronic device optionally scrolls (1148) theone-dimensional array a distance based on the first characteristic. Forexample, from FIG. 10B, receiving a swipe gesture that doesn't exceedthe threshold optionally results in the one-dimensional array 1008scrolling a distance based on the first characteristic and stoppingpartially between the two groups, as illustrated in FIG. 10D, whereasreceiving a swipe gesture that does exceed the threshold optionallyresults in the one-dimensional array scrolling to the second group asillustrated in FIG. 10F.

In some embodiments, the electronic device receives (1150) a swipegesture (e.g., detecting movement of a contact across thetouch-sensitive surface in a first direction). In accordance with theswipe gesture being received while the two-dimensional array ispresented on the display, the electronic device optionally scrolls(1152) the two-dimensional array including scrolling the first groupvisually distinguished from the second group (e.g., scrolling the firstand second groups with a fixed space between the two groups, such as thefixed distance between groups 1004-1 and 1004-2 in FIG. 10A or the fixeddistances between the groups 602-1, 602-2, 602-3, and 602-4 in FIGS.6A-6C, scrolling the first and second groups with a vertical dividerbetween the two groups, etc.). In some embodiments, the amount by whichthe two-dimensional array is scrolled is determined based on a parameter(e.g., speed, distance, velocity on liftoff) of the swipe gesture.

In some embodiments, in accordance with the swipe gesture being receivedwhile the one-dimensional array is presented on the display, theelectronic device scrolls the one-dimensional array along an edge of thedisplay (e.g., scrolling icons of the one-dimensional array along thebottom edge of the display with a fixed distance between the iconsregardless of which groups the icons belong to, as shown withone-dimensional array 1008 in FIGS. 10B-10G, etc.). In some embodiments,the amount by which the one-dimensional array is scrolled is determinedbased on a parameter (e.g., speed, distance, velocity on liftoff) of theswipe gesture.

The operations in the information processing methods described aboveare, optionally, implemented by running one or more functional modulesin an information processing apparatus such as general purposeprocessors (e.g., as described above with respect to FIGS. 1A and 3 ) orapplication specific chips.

The operations described above with reference to FIGS. 11A-11C are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. Forexample, generating operation 1104, receiving operation 1110, ceasingoperation 1114, and presenting operation 1116 are, optionallyimplemented by event sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler190. Event monitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact ontouch-sensitive display 112, and event dispatcher module 174 deliversthe event information to application 136-1. A respective eventrecognizer 180 of application 136-1 compares the event information torespective event definitions 186, and determines whether a first contactat a first location on the touch-sensitive surface corresponds to apredefined event or sub-event, such as selection of an object on a userinterface. When a respective predefined event or sub-event is detected,event recognizer 180 activates an event handler 190 associated with thedetection of the event or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionallyutilizes or calls data updater 176 or object updater 177 to update theapplication internal state 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by theapplication. Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinaryskill in the art how other processes can be implemented based on thecomponents depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

It should be understood that the particular order in which theoperations in FIGS. 11A-11C have been described is merely exemplary andis not intended to indicate that the described order is the only orderin which the operations could be performed. One of ordinary skill in theart would recognize various ways to reorder the operations describedherein. Additionally, it should be noted that details of other processesdescribed herein with respect to other methods described herein (e.g.,methods 700, 900, and 1300) are also applicable in an analogous mannerto method 1100 described above with respect to FIGS. 11A-11C. Forexample, the user interfaces, user interface objects, icons, groups,headings, visual content, and electronic devices described above withreference to method 1100 optionally have one or more of thecharacteristics of the user interfaces, user interface objects, icons,groups, headings, visual content, and electronic devices describedherein with reference to other methods described herein (e.g., methods700, 900, and 1300). For brevity, these details are not repeated here.

User Interface Animation Acceleration

Many electronic devices provide user interfaces that animate based ondifferent inputs. There is a need to provide an intuitive interface thatbegins such animations before input is complete. The embodiments belowprovide an intuitive interface that seems to anticipate user intentionbefore input is complete by beginning an animation portion that iscommon to two or more user interface responses.

FIGS. 12A-12F illustrate an exemplary user interface using a firstanimation portion to transition to either a first or second userinterface response in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure. The user interfaces in these figures are used to illustrateprocesses described below, including the processes described below withreference to FIGS. 13A-13C.

FIGS. 12A-12F illustrate first and second user interface responses tofirst and second gestures. For example, a first gesture optionallyincludes a single tap and a second gesture optionally includes a swipeup. In response to a single tap, a single row of icons is optionallydisplayed, and in response to a swipe up, a multi-column, multi-rowarray of icons is optionally displayed. After a touch down is received,it may not be determined whether a swipe up will be received, but theelectronic device 500 optionally presents a first animation portion(e.g., displaying the single row of icons) that is common to both thefirst and second user interface responses.

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate the first animation portion graduallydisplaying a single row of icons 1202 from the bottom edge of thedisplay 514, and FIGS. 12E-12F illustrate a second animation portiongradually displaying a multi-row, multi-column array of icons 1204(which includes the single row 1202 as its first row). After a touchdown 1206 is received on the touch sensitive surface 451, the electronicdevice optionally begins the first animation portion in FIGS. 12A-12C.

In FIG. 12D, a swipe left gesture 1208 is received. In response, it isdetermined that the touch down 1206 was not part of a swipe up gesture,the animation stops after the first animation portion in 12C, and thesingle row of icons 1202 scrolls in response to the swipe left gesture1208, as illustrated in FIG. 12D.

In contrast, FIGS. 12E-12F illustrate receiving a swipe up gesture 1210following the touch down 1206. In response, the electronic devicecontinues the animation with a second animation portion as illustratedin Figured 12E-12F optionally in a continuous, smooth animation. FIGS.12A-12C and 12E-F illustrate the first and second animation portionstogether in the continuous, smooth animation in response to the touchdown 1206 and swipe gesture 1210.

The user interface illustrated in FIG. 12A is optionally the same as theheading user interface illustrated in FIGS. 10H-10I. The user interfaceincluding the row of icons 1202 in FIGS. 12B-12C is optionally the sameas the single row user interface illustrated in FIGS. 10B-10G and 10J.The user interface including the multi-row, multi-column array of icons1204 in FIGS. 12E-12F is optionally the same as the multi-row,multi-column user interface illustrated in FIGS. 6A-S and 10A.

FIGS. 13A-13C are flow diagrams illustrating a method of using a firstanimation portion to transition to either a first or second userinterface response in accordance with some embodiments. The method isoptionally performed at an electronic device as described above withreference to FIGS. 1-5 (e.g., electronic device 100, 300, or 500, etc.).Some operations in method 1100 are, optionally, combined and/or theorder of some operations is, optionally, changed.

As described below, the method 1100 provides ways of using a firstanimation portion to transition to either a first or second userinterface response. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a userwhen interacting with a user interface on the device by providing anintuitive user interface that seems to anticipate the user's inputbefore it is complete, thereby creating a more efficient human-machineinterface. For battery-operated electronic devices, increasing theefficiency of the user's interaction with the user interfaces conservespower and increases the time between battery charges.

In some embodiments, an electronic device 500 with one or moreprocessors and memory generates (1302) for presentation on a display(e.g., a remote display device or a display that is integrated into theelectronic device) a user interface. While the user interface ispresented on the display, the electronic device receives (1304) inputincluding a first input portion (e.g., the touch down 1206 received ontouch sensitive surface 451 in FIGS. 12A-12C). The first input portionis included (1306) in both a first gesture associated with a first userinterface response and a second gesture associated with a second userinterface response different from the first user interface response(e.g., the first input portion is a first tap, the first gesture is asingle tap, and the second gesture is a double tap; the first inputportion is a touch down, the first gesture is a single tap, and thesecond gesture is a swipe up; the first input portion is touch down oftwo fingers, the first gesture is a two finger swipe, and the secondgesture is a two finger pinch to zoom; etc.). For example, the touchdown 1206 in FIGS. 12A-12C is included in both a single tap gestureassociated with displaying the single row of icons 1202 and a swipe upgesture (when the touch down 1206 is followed by swipe up 1210)associated with displaying a multi-row, multi-column array of icons1204.

In response to receiving the first input portion and prior todetermining whether first gesture criteria have been met (e.g., prior todetermining whether the input corresponds to the first gesture or thesecond gesture), the electronic device generates (1318) for presentationon the display a first animation portion in the user interface, thefirst animation portion corresponding to both the first user interfaceresponse and the second user interface response (because the firstanimation portion corresponds to both the first gesture and the secondgesture, the first animation portion can begin even before it has beendetermined wither the input corresponds to the first gesture or thesecond gesture). For example, in FIGS. 12A-12F, the first animationportion from 12A-12C corresponds to both displaying a single row oficons and displaying a multi-row, multi-column array of icons.

After generating the first animation portion (and, optionally, after thefirst animation portion has been at least partially presented on thedisplay) and in accordance with a determination that the first gesturecriteria have been met (e.g., determining that the input corresponds tothe first gesture), the electronic device uses (1324) the firstanimation portion to transition to presenting the first user interfaceresponse on the display. For example, the first animation portion fromFIGS. 12A-12C is used to transition to the first user interface responseof displaying a single row of icons 1202 in FIG. 12C.

In some embodiments, using the first animation portion to transition topresenting the first user interface response includes presenting (1326)a second animation portion in the user interface following the firstanimation portion, the first and second animation portions correspondingto the first user interface response (and not the second user interfaceresponse). The first animation portion and the second animation portionare optionally part (1328) of a single, continuous animation (e.g., thefirst animation portion includes a row of icons appearing partially froman edge of the display, and the second animation portion includes therow of icons fully appearing from the edge of the display, such that thefirst and second animation portions include a single, continuousanimation of the row of icons appearing from the edge of the display, asillustrated in FIGS. 12A-12C).

In some embodiments, the input includes (1312) a second input portion,the second input portion being included in the second gesture and notthe first gesture (e.g., the swipe up 1210 in FIG. 12E is included in aswipe up gesture but not a single tap gesture). After generating thefirst animation portion (and, optionally, after the first animationportion has been at least partially presented on the display) and inaccordance with a determination that second gesture criteria have beenmet (e.g., determining that input corresponds to the second gesture),the electronic device optionally presents (1334) a third animationportion in the user interface following the first animation portion, thefirst and third animation portions corresponding to the second userinterface response on the display (and not the first user interfaceresponse). The first animation portion and the third animation portionare optionally part (1336) of a single, continuous animation thatcorresponds to the second user interface response and is different froman animation corresponding to the first user interface response (e.g.,the first user interface response includes only a single row of iconsappearing from an edge of the display, and the second user interfaceresponse includes a multi-column, multi-row array of icons appearingfrom the edge of the display; the first animation portion includes justthe single row 1202 appearing, and in the second user interface responsethe third animation portion continues in a single, continuous animationuntil the entire multi-column, multi-row array 1204 is presented on thedisplay, as illustrated in FIGS. 12A-12C and 12E-12F).

In some embodiments, the electronic device receives (1314) additionalinput following the first input portion, and determines (1316) that theadditional input corresponds to a gesture that is not a continuation ofthe first input portion. The first gesture criteria optionally include(1330) a criterion that is met in accordance with determining that theadditional input corresponds to a gesture that is not a continuation ofthe first input portion (e.g., it is determined the input corresponds tothe first gesture if new input is received that cannot be a continuationof the first input portion).

In some embodiments, the first gesture criteria include (1332) acriterion that is met when an amount of time that has elapsed since thefirst input portion was detected exceeds a threshold.

In some embodiments, the first user interface response includesdisplaying (1308) an application menu that includes a single row oficons (e.g., the row of icons 1202 displayed in FIG. 12C), the seconduser interface response optionally includes displaying (1310) anapplication menu that includes a multi-column, multi-row array of icons(e.g., the array of icons 1204 displayed in FIG. 12E-12F), and the firstanimation portion optionally includes (1322) presenting the single rowof icons on the display, which is also a row of icons from themulti-column, multi-row array of icons (e.g., the first animationportion from 12A-12C of the row of icons 1202, which is also a row fromthe array of icons 1204 in FIGS. 12E-12F).

The operations in the information processing methods described aboveare, optionally, implemented by running one or more functional modulesin an information processing apparatus such as general purposeprocessors (e.g., as described above with respect to FIGS. 1A and 3 ) orapplication specific chips.

The operations described above with reference to FIGS. 13A-13C are,optionally, implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B. Forexample, generating operation 1302, receiving operation 1304, generatingoperation 1318, and using operation 1324 are, optionally implemented byevent sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler 190. Eventmonitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and event dispatcher module 174 delivers the eventinformation to application 136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 ofapplication 136-1 compares the event information to respective eventdefinitions 186, and determines whether a first contact at a firstlocation on the touch-sensitive surface corresponds to a predefinedevent or sub-event, such as selection of an object on a user interface.When a respective predefined event or sub-event is detected, eventrecognizer 180 activates an event handler 190 associated with thedetection of the event or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionallyutilizes or calls data updater 176 or object updater 177 to update theapplication internal state 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by theapplication. Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinaryskill in the art how other processes can be implemented based on thecomponents depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

It should be understood that the particular order in which theoperations in FIGS. 13A-13C have been described is merely exemplary andis not intended to indicate that the described order is the only orderin which the operations could be performed. One of ordinary skill in theart would recognize various ways to reorder the operations describedherein. Additionally, it should be noted that details of other processesdescribed herein with respect to other methods described herein (e.g.,methods 700, 900, and 1100) are also applicable in an analogous mannerto method 1300 described above with respect to FIGS. 13A-13C. Forexample, the user interfaces, user interface objects, icons, groups,headings, visual content, and electronic devices described above withreference to method 1300 optionally have one or more of thecharacteristics of the user interfaces, user interface objects, icons,groups, headings, visual content, and electronic devices describedherein with reference to other methods described herein (e.g., methods700, 900, and 1100). For brevity, these details are not repeated here.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 14 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 1400 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 14 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 14 , an electronic device 1400 optionally includes adisplay unit 1402 configured to display a user interface including oneor more user interface objects (e.g., icons associated withapplications); an input unit 1404 to receive user input, selections,etc. (e.g., touch-sensitive surface, keyboard, mouse, or other inputunit); and a processing unit 1410 coupled to the display unit 1402 andthe input unit 1404. In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410optionally includes a display enabling unit 1412, a receiving unit 1414,and an invoking unit 1416.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is configured to generate(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1412) for presentation on adisplay a user interface including a plurality of groups of icons,wherein a plurality of the icons have been grouped based at least inpart on metadata of applications associated with the icons. Theprocessing unit 1410 is further configured to receive input (e.g., withthe receiving unit 1414) selecting a respective icon, and, in responseto receiving the input selecting a respective icon, invoke (e.g., withthe invoking unit 1416) an instance of an application associated withthe respective icon.

In some embodiments, the user interface has first and second modes, andthe processing unit 1410 is further configured to display (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1412) the icons having a first visualcharacteristic in the first mode, and display (e.g., with the displayenabling unit 1412) the icons having a second visual characteristic inthe second mode. In some embodiments, displaying the icons having thefirst visual characteristic includes displaying a single group of iconsat a first zoom level, and displaying the icons having the second visualcharacteristic includes displaying multiple groups of icons at a secondzoom level.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) input scrolling theplurality of groups of icons, and, in response to the input scrollingthe plurality of groups of icons: in the first mode, scroll (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1412) the plurality of groups of icons inproportion to a magnitude of the input, and in the second mode, scroll(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1412) the plurality of groups oficons from a first group to a second group based on a determination thata magnitude of the input exceeds a threshold.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive additional input, and, in response to receiving the additionalinput: in the second mode, rearrange (e.g., with the display enablingunit 1412) one or more groups of icons based on the additional input.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) first user input to changefrom the first mode to the second mode, and receive (e.g., with thereceiving unit 1414) second user input to change from the second mode tothe first mode. In some embodiments, the first user input and the seconduser input are opposite inputs

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) input requesting adding anapplication, and, in response to receiving the input requesting addingthe application, add (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1412) an iconassociated with the application to a first group based on metadata ofthe application.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) input requesting adding anadditional application, and, in response to receiving the input addingthe additional application, add (e.g., with the display enabling unit1412) an icon associated with the additional application to a secondgroup based on metadata of the additional application.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive input requesting adding an application, and, in response toreceiving the input requesting adding the application: in accordancewith a determination that the application is in a first group, display(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1412) the application in a nextavailable position in the first group; and in accordance with adetermination that the application is in a second group, display (e.g.,with the display enabling unit 1412) the application in a next availableposition in the second group.

In some embodiments, the plurality of icons include a first iconautomatically grouped in a first group, and the processing unit 1410 isfurther configured to receive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) arequest to move the first icon to a second group, and, in response toreceiving the request, move (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1412)the first icon from the first group to the second group.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1410 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) a user request to add thefirst icon to a favorites group, and, in response to receiving the userrequest, associate the first icon with the favorites group. Theprocessing unit 1410 is further configured to receive (e.g., with thereceiving unit 1414) a request to display the first group; in responseto receiving the request to display the first group, display (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1412) the first icon in the first group;receive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1414) a request to display thefavorites group; and, in response to receiving the request to displaythe favorites group, display (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1412)the first icon in the favorites group.

In some embodiments, each group includes a grid of icons, each grid oficons having a number of columns that depends on a number of items inthe associated group. In some embodiments, a first group of icons has afirst number of columns based on a total number of icons in the firstgroup, and a second group of icons has a second number of columns,different from the first number of columns, based on a total number oficons in the second group.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 15 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 1500 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 15 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 15 , an electronic device 1500 optionally includes adisplay unit 1502 configured to display a user interface including oneor more user interface objects (e.g., icons associated withapplications); an input unit 1504 to receive user input, selections,etc. (e.g., touch-sensitive surface, keyboard, mouse, or other inputunit); and a processing unit 1510 coupled to the display unit 1502 andthe input unit 1504. In some embodiments, the processing unit 1510optionally includes a display enabling unit 1512, a receiving unit 1514,and an invoking unit 1516.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1510 is configured to generate(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1512) for presentation on adisplay a first user interface of a first application. While the firstuser interface is presented on the display, the processing unit 1510 isfurther configured to receive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1514) arequest to display an application switching user interface. In responseto the request to display the application switching user interface, Theprocessing unit 1510 is configured to generate for presentation on thedisplay a second user interface including a plurality of user interfaceobjects for switching between different applications, wherein a firstuser interface object of the plurality of user interface objectscorresponds to the first application, the first user interface objectincludes a representation of a state of the first application, and thefirst user interface object is generated from images that arerepresentative of content items available for presentation by the firstapplication, wherein a first image of the images is not included in thefirst user interface of the first application.

In some embodiments, generating the second user interface includes: inaccordance with a determination that the first application was recentlyaccessed, generating (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1512) thefirst user interface object including representations of recentlyaccessed content items; and in accordance with a determination that thefirst application was not recently accessed, generating (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 1512) the first user interface object includingrepresentations of upcoming content items.

In some embodiments, generating the second user interface includesreceiving (e.g., at the receiving unit 1514) a representation of a stateof a corresponding application from the corresponding application.

In some embodiments, the first user interface object includes arepresentation of a first content item associated with the firstapplication, and generating the second user interface further includesgenerating (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1512) a second userinterface object of the plurality of user interface objects including arepresentation of a second content item associated with the firstapplication.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1510 is further configured to,while the second user interface is presented on the display, receive(e.g., with the receiving unit 1514) a selection of one of the pluralityof user interface objects; in accordance with receiving a selection ofthe first user interface object, invoke (e.g., with the invoking unit1516) the first application playing the first content item; and inaccordance with receiving a selection of the second user interfaceobject, invoke (e.g., with the invoking unit 1516) the first applicationplaying the second content item.

In some embodiments, the second user interface includes a plurality ofcolumns, two or more of the plurality of columns including the pluralityof user interface objects, each representing a state of a correspondingapplication. In some embodiments, the first user interface objectincludes representations of a plurality of content items, and the firstapplication is configured to play a single content item at a time.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 16 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 1600 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 16 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 16 , an electronic device 1600 optionally includes adisplay unit 1602 configured to display a user interface including oneor more user interface objects (e.g., icons associated withapplications); an input unit 1604 to receive user input, selections,etc. (e.g., touch-sensitive surface, keyboard, mouse, or other inputunit); and a processing unit 1610 coupled to the display unit 1602 andthe input unit 1604. In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610optionally includes a display enabling unit 1612, a receiving unit 1614,and a detecting unit 1616.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is configured to generate(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) for presentation on adisplay a two-dimensional array of a set of user interface objects,wherein the user interface objects are divided along a first axis into aplurality of groups, including a first group and a second group. Theprocessing unit 1610 is further configured to, while the two-dimensionalarray is presented on the display, receive (e.g., with the receivingunit 1614) a request to change display of the set of user interfaceobjects. The processing unit 1610 is further configured to, in responseto the request, cease (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) topresent the two-dimensional array and present (e.g., with the displayenabling unit 1612) the user interface objects arranged in aone-dimensional array that preserves the grouping from thetwo-dimensional array.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured togenerate (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) for presentation onthe display visual content, wherein the two-dimensional array isgenerated (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) for presentationover the visual content, the two-dimensional array obscuring a firstportion of the visual content, and wherein the one-dimensional array isgenerated (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) for presentationover the visual content, the one-dimensional array obscuring a secondportion of the visual content, smaller than the first portion of thevisual content.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured togenerate (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) for presentation onthe display a plurality of headings, including a first headingcorresponding to the first group and a second heading corresponding tothe second group, and scroll (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612)the headings as the two-dimensional array is scrolled.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured togenerate (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) for presentation onthe display a plurality of headings, including a first headingcorresponding to the first group and a second heading corresponding tothe second group, and scroll (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612)the headings as the one-dimensional array is scrolled.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to,while the one-dimensional array and the plurality of headings arepresented on the display, receive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1614)an additional request to change display of the set of user interfaceobjects, and in response to the additional request, cease (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1612) to present the one-dimensional array andcontinue (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) to present theplurality of headings.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configure to,while the plurality of headings is presented on the display, receive(e.g., with the receiving unit 1614) a selection of the first heading,and, in response to the selection of the first heading, present (e.g.,with the display enabling unit 1612) one or more user interface objectsassociated with the first group.

In some embodiments, receiving the selection of the first headingincludes detecting (e.g., with the detecting unit 1616) touchdown of afirst contact, and the processing unit 1610 is further configured todetect (e.g., with the detecting unit 1616) liftoff of the firstcontact, and, in response to detecting liftoff of the first contact,cease (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) to present the one ormore user interface objects associated with the first group.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to,in accordance with a determination that the selection of the firstheading is a tap gesture, present (e.g., with the display enabling unit1612) the one or more user interface objects associated with the firstgroup until further input is detected, and in accordance with adetermination that the selection of the first heading is a hold gesture,cease (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) to present the one ormore user interface objects associated with the first group in responseto completion of the hold gesture.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to:while one or more user interface objects associated with the first groupare presented on the display in the one-dimensional array, receive(e.g., with the receiving unit 1614) a swipe gesture having a firstcharacteristic; in accordance with a determination that the firstcharacteristic of the swipe gesture exceeds a predetermined threshold,scroll (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1612) the one-dimensionalarray such that one or more user interface objects associated with thesecond group are presented on the display; and in accordance with adetermination that the first characteristic of the swipe gesture doesnot exceed a predetermined threshold, scroll (e.g., with the displayenabling unit 1612) the one-dimensional array a distance based on thefirst characteristic.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1614) a swipe gesture, and, inaccordance with the swipe gesture being received while thetwo-dimensional array is presented on the display, scroll (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1612) the two-dimensional array includingscrolling the first group visually distinguished from the second group.In some embodiments, the processing unit 1610 is further configured to,in accordance with the swipe gesture being received while theone-dimensional array is presented on the display, scroll (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1612) the one-dimensional array along an edgeof the display.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 17 shows a functional blockdiagram of an electronic device 1700 configured in accordance with theprinciples of the various described embodiments. The functional blocksof the device are, optionally, implemented by hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software to carry out the principles of thevarious described embodiments. It is understood by persons of skill inthe art that the functional blocks described in FIG. 17 are, optionally,combined or separated into sub-blocks to implement the principles of thevarious described embodiments. Therefore, the description hereinoptionally supports any possible combination or separation or furtherdefinition of the functional blocks described herein.

As shown in FIG. 17 , an electronic device 1700 optionally includes adisplay unit 1702 configured to display a user interface including oneor more user interface objects (e.g., icons associated withapplications); an input unit 1704 to receive user input, selections,etc. (e.g., touch-sensitive surface, keyboard, mouse, or other inputunit); and a processing unit 1710 coupled to the display unit 1702 andthe input unit 1704. In some embodiments, the processing unit 1710optionally includes a display enabling unit 1712, a receiving unit 1714,and a determining unit 1716.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1710 is configured to generate(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1712) for presentation on adisplay a user interface. The processing unit 1710 is further configuredto, while the user interface is presented on the display, receive (e.g.,with the receiving unit 1714) input including a first input portion, thefirst input portion being included in both a first gesture associatedwith a first user interface response and a second gesture associatedwith a second user interface response different from the first userinterface response. The processing unit 1710 is further configured to,in response to receiving the first input portion and prior todetermining whether first gesture criteria have been met, generate(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1712) for presentation on thedisplay a first animation portion in the user interface, the firstanimation portion corresponding to both the first user interfaceresponse and the second user interface response. The processing unit1710 is further configured to, after generating the first animationportion and in accordance with a determination that the first gesturecriteria have been met, use the first animation portion (e.g., with thedisplay enabling unit 1712) to transition to presenting the first userinterface response on the display.

In some embodiments, using the first animation portion to transition topresenting the first user interface response includes presenting (e.g.,with the display enabling unit 1712) a second animation portion in theuser interface following the first animation portion, the first andsecond animation portions corresponding to the first user interfaceresponse. In some embodiments, the first animation portion and thesecond animation portion are part of a single, continuous animation.

In some embodiments, the input further includes a second input portion,the second input portion being included in the second gesture and notthe first gesture, and the processing unit 1710 is further configuredto, after generating the first animation portion and in accordance witha determination that second gesture criteria have been met, present(e.g., with the display enabling unit 1712) a third animation portion inthe user interface following the first animation portion, the first andthird animation portions corresponding to the second user interfaceresponse on the display. In some embodiments, the first animationportion and the third animation portion are part of a single, continuousanimation that corresponds to the second user interface response and isdifferent from an animation corresponding to the first user interfaceresponse.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1710 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with the receiving unit 1714) additional input followingthe first input portion, and determine (e.g., with the determining unit1716) that the additional input corresponds to a gesture that is not acontinuation of the first input portion, wherein the first gesturecriteria include a criterion that is met in accordance with determiningthat the additional input corresponds to a gesture that is not acontinuation of the first input portion.

In some embodiments, the first gesture criteria include a criterion thatis met when an amount of time that has elapsed since the first inputportion was detected exceeds a threshold.

In some embodiments, the first user interface response includesdisplaying (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1712) an applicationmenu that includes a single row of icons, the second user interfaceresponse includes displaying (e.g., with the display enabling unit 1712)an application menu that includes a multi-column, multi-row array oficons, and the first animation portion includes presenting (e.g., withthe display enabling unit 1712) the single row of icons on the display,which is also a row of icons from the multi-column, multi-row array oficons.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific embodiments. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best use the invention and variousdescribed embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A method comprising: at an electronic device in communication with adisplay device and one or more input devices: generating forpresentation on the display device a first user interface of a firstapplication; while the first user interface is presented on the displaydevice, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a request todisplay an application switching user interface; and in response to therequest to display the application switching user interface, generatingfor presentation on the display device a second user interface includinga plurality of user interface objects for switching between differentapplications; wherein a first user interface object of the plurality ofuser interface objects corresponds to the first application, the firstuser interface object includes a representation of a state of the firstapplication, and the first user interface object is generated fromimages that are representative of content items available forpresentation by the first application, wherein a first image of theimages is not included in the first user interface of the firstapplication, wherein generating the second user interface includes: inaccordance with a determination that the first application was recentlyaccessed, generating the first user interface object includingrepresentations of a first set of content items; and in accordance witha determination that the first application was not recently accessed,generating the first user interface object including representations ofa second set of content items, different from the first set of contentitems.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the representations of thefirst set of content items include representations of recently accessedcontent items; and the representations of the second set of contentitems include representations of upcoming content items.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein generating the second user interface includes:receiving a representation of a state of a corresponding applicationfrom the corresponding application.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe first user interface object includes a representation of a firstcontent item associated with the first application, and generating thesecond user interface further includes: generating a second userinterface object of the plurality of user interface objects including arepresentation of a second content item associated with the firstapplication.
 5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:while the second user interface is presented on the display device,receiving, via the one or more input devices, a selection of one of theplurality of user interface objects; in accordance with receiving aselection of the first user interface object, invoking the firstapplication playing the first content item; and in accordance withreceiving a selection of the second user interface object, invoking thefirst application playing the second content item.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the second user interface includes a plurality ofcolumns, two or more of the plurality of columns including the pluralityof user interface objects, each representing a state of a correspondingapplication.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interfaceobject includes representations of a plurality of content items, and thefirst application is configured to play a single content item at a time.8. An electronic device, comprising: one or more processors; memory; andone or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in thememory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, theone or more programs including instructions for: generating forpresentation on a display device a first user interface of a firstapplication; while the first user interface is presented on the displaydevice, receiving, via one or more input devices, a request to displayan application switching user interface; and in response to the requestto display the application switching user interface, generating forpresentation on the display device a second user interface including aplurality of user interface objects for switching between differentapplications; wherein a first user interface object of the plurality ofuser interface objects corresponds to the first application, the firstuser interface object includes a representation of a state of the firstapplication, and the first user interface object is generated fromimages that are representative of content items available forpresentation by the first application, wherein a first image of theimages is not included in the first user interface of the firstapplication, wherein generating the second user interface includes: inaccordance with a determination that the first application was recentlyaccessed, generating the first user interface object includingrepresentations of a first set of content items; and in accordance witha determination that the first application was not recently accessed,generating the first user interface object including representations ofa second set of content items, different from the first set of contentitems.
 9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein generating thesecond user interface includes: in accordance with a determination thatthe first application was recently accessed, generating the first userinterface object including representations of recently accessed contentitems; and in accordance with a determination that the first applicationwas not recently accessed, generating the first user interface objectincluding representations of upcoming content items.
 10. The electronicdevice of claim 8, wherein generating the second user interfaceincludes: receiving a representation of a state of a correspondingapplication from the corresponding application.
 11. The electronicdevice of claim 8, wherein the first user interface object includes arepresentation of a first content item associated with the firstapplication, and generating the second user interface further includes:generating a second user interface object of the plurality of userinterface objects including a representation of a second content itemassociated with the first application.
 12. The electronic device ofclaim 11, the instructions further for: while the second user interfaceis presented on the display device, receiving, via the one or more inputdevices, a selection of one of the plurality of user interface objects;in accordance with receiving a selection of the first user interfaceobject, invoking the first application playing a first content item; andin accordance with receiving a selection of the second user interfaceobject, invoking the first application playing the second content item.13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second user interfaceincludes a plurality of columns, two or more of the plurality of columnsincluding the plurality of user interface objects, each representing astate of a corresponding application.
 14. The electronic device of claim8, wherein the first user interface object includes representations of aplurality of content items, and the first application is configured toplay a single content item at a time.
 15. A non-transitory computerreadable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or moreprograms comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronicdevice with one or more processors and memory, cause the device to:generate for presentation on a display device a first user interface ofa first application; while the first user interface is presented on thedisplay device, receive, via one or more input devices, a request todisplay an application switching user interface; and in response to therequest to display the application switching user interface, generatefor presentation on the display device a second user interface includinga plurality of user interface objects for switching between differentapplications; wherein a first user interface object of the plurality ofuser interface objects corresponds to the first application, the firstuser interface object includes a representation of a state of the firstapplication, and the first user interface object is generated fromimages that are representative of content items available forpresentation by the first application, wherein a first image of theimages is not included in the first user interface of the firstapplication, wherein generating the second user interface includes: inaccordance with a determination that the first application was recentlyaccessed, generating the first user interface object includingrepresentations of a first set of content items; and in accordance witha determination that the first application was not recently accessed,generating the first user interface object including representations ofa second set of content items, different from the first set of contentitems.
 16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim15, wherein: the representations of the first set of content itemsinclude representations of recently accessed content items; and therepresentations of the second set of content items includerepresentations of upcoming content items.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein generating thesecond user interface includes: receiving a representation of a state ofa corresponding application from the corresponding application.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein thefirst user interface object includes a representation of a first contentitem associated with the first application, and generating the seconduser interface further includes: generating a second user interfaceobject of the plurality of user interface objects including arepresentation of a second content item associated with the firstapplication.
 19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium ofclaim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the device to: whilethe second user interface is presented on the display device, receive,via the one or more input devices, a selection of one of the pluralityof user interface objects; in accordance with receiving a selection ofthe first user interface object, invoke the first application playingthe first content item; and in accordance with receiving a selection ofthe second user interface object, invoke the first application playingthe second content item.
 20. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of claim 15, wherein the second user interface includes aplurality of columns, two or more of the plurality of columns includingthe plurality of user interface objects, each representing a state of acorresponding application.
 21. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of claim 15, wherein the first user interface objectincludes representations of a plurality of content items, and the firstapplication is configured to play a single content item at a time.